Aiyar junks Cong script, calls CM a ‘lahu purush’

In a departure from the apparent Congress strategy to not rake up the post-Godhra riots issue to prevent polarisation that could help BJP, Congress MP Manishankar Aiyar on Saturday called Chief Minister Narendra Modi a "lahu purush (a man with blood on his hands) and likened him to Hitler, Dawood Ibrahim and Ravan.

Aiyar was speaking at an election meeting at Sudama Chowk of Porbandar, the birth place of Mahatma Gandhi.

"I don't see much difference between Hitler and Modi. He is a very dangerous person and needs to be stopped," Aiyar said.

"One killed people and the other got people killed," he later told reporters.

Aiyar also called Modi "asatya ka saudagar (merchant of lies)", citing figures about Gujarat's growth rate in the 90s and now.

The Congress MP also accused Modi of giving huge chunks of lands to select industrialists at throwaway prices. He claimed around 50 per cent of the children in Gujarat were malnourished and that Gujarat was performing worst in implementing schemes like Mid-day Meal and public distribution system.

Aiyar was accompanied by state Congress president Arjun Modhwadia, who is also an MLA from Porbandar.

Congress MP from Patan, Jagdish Thakor, also addressed the gathering.

Meanwhile, the BJP advised Congress leaders to exercise restraint. Party's national vice-president Purushottam Rupala told reporters, "Congress leaders should not try to turn into red the pink season of democracy in Gujarat."

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