Trailer for you, for us Gandhi Ji is life: Modi's retort to Congress' 'Ye toh abhi trailer hai'

Amid sloganeering by opposition members over BJP lawmaker Anantkumar Hegde's remarks against Mahatma Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a dig at Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in Lok Sabha and said the Father of the Nation is "our life".

As Prime Minister Modi was replying in Lok Sabha to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address, Opposition started raising 'Mahatma Gandhi amar rahe' (long live Mahatma Gandhi) slogans to which Modi asked, "Bas itna hi? aur kuch hai? (Is that all? Is there more?)"

Then, Chowdhury said to the Prime Minister, "Yeh toh abhi trailer hai (This is just a trailer)."

Later, the Prime Minister replied, "Aapke liye Mahatma Gandhi trailer ho sakte hain, humare liye Gandhi ji zindagi hain (Mahatma Gandhi might be a trailer for you, [but] for us, Gandhiji is our life)."

Prime Minister Modi further stated, "President has highlighted the vision for a New India. His address comes at a time when we enter the third decade of the century. President's address instils a spirit of hope and presents a roadmap for taking the country ahead in future."

Several Opposition parties have over the past few days criticised the BJP after its lawmaker Hegde called the freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi a "staged drama" and also questioned how "such people" come to be called "Mahatma".

"I own my statement," said Hegde on Tuesday in his defence amid the raging controversy over his remark and added that he has never said anything against the Father of the Nation.