Create awareness than ridicule: Cong slams PM Modi over 'suicide note' joke

The Congress on Thursday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a joke made by him involving a suicide note, with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra saying that the PM and those laughing heartily at his joke ought to educate themselves better rather than "ridicule" mental health issues in an "insensitive" manner.

Prime Minister Modi, while speaking at a media channel conclave on Wednesday, narrated a joke about a professor reading a suicide note by his daughter and remarking how she had got a spelling wrong despite his efforts for so many years.

The joke was made by the prime minister while also remarking that the editor-in-chief of the channel had started speaking well in Hindi.

In a tweet in Hindi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said thousands of families lose their children to suicide and "the prime minister should not make fun of them".

Tagging the video of Modi's joke at the conclave, Priyanka Gandhi in a tweet said, "Depression and suicide, especially among the youth IS NOT a laughing matter. According to NCRB data, 164033 Indians committed suicide in 2021. Of which a huge percentage were below the age of 30. This is a tragedy not a joke."

"The Prime Minister and those laughing heartily at his joke ought to educate themselves better and create awareness rather than ridicule mental health issues in this insensitive, morbid manner," the Congress general secretary said on Twitter and tagged PM Modi and 'The Live Love Laugh Foundation' that deals with mental health issues.

The Congress also shared the video of Modi's remarks on Twitter and criticised him.

"The Prime Minister is telling a 'joke' on 'suicide'. How can anyone be so insensitive about suicide?" the Congress said in a tweet.

"Government statistics show that in 2021 more than 1.64 lakh Indians committed suicide. Every day 450 people are forced to commit suicide in our country and this is a 'joke' for the prime minister," the Opposition party said.

Asked about the remarks at a press conference, Congress' media department head Pawan Khera said such remarks do not behove the post of prime minister.