CHANDIGARH: Primer Minister Narendra Modi's description of Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal as the "Nelson Mandela of India" on Sunday kicked up a storm on Twitter as #YoBadalSoMandela claimed the second most trending spot on the social networking site.
Modi likened Badal to Mandela during a speech at the 113th birth anniversary of socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan in the national capital. "Badal Sahab is sitting here...he is the Nelson Mandela of India," he said. "He has spent so many years in prison and that too for political reasons. What was the crime of people like Badal Sahab? Only that he had political views different from those in power."
His comments were tweeted by the official account of PMO. Soon, there were bouquets and brickbats for Badal from Twitterati.
"I am deeply saddened by the words of @narendramodi in praise of corrupt #Badal My PM has let me down today," wrote Sadhvi Khosla, who is followed by the prime minister's personal account.
"Modi ji compared Badal with Nelson Mandela bcs of his proactive role in #SwachhBharat abhiyaan #YoBadalSoMandela," said one Punjabi.
Both Congress and Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab took swipes at Badal. Former Punjab chief minister and Amritsar Congress MP Amarinder Singh tweeted: "Who says our PM has no sense of humour. Let's hope, like Mandela, Bharat Ratna/Nobel Prize next for Badal".
Later, he issued a statement, saying "either it is a tongue in cheek comment by the prime minister and he really did not mean what he said, or he actually does not know what he is saying".
Praising Mandela for having spent 27 years in jail in isolation, Amarinder said the Punjab chief minister may not have even spent 27 months and those too were spent in luxury and hospitality of the government.
The AAP too joined the chorus. "Nelson Mandela of Pnjb (Punjab) were Sant Longowal and Jathedar Mohan Singh Tur who sacrificed dere whole Life 4 d sake of State, Religion and people," wrote AAP's Punjab convener Sucha Singh Chottepur.
Punjab government, however, released an official statement, endorsing Modi's views on Badal. "Shiromani Akali Dal had contributed hugely for saving and guarding democracy in India besides upholding the freedom of press," said the statement quoting Badal.
Earlier, while recollecting the Emergency days, Badal at the event said his party was approached by then prime minister Indira Gandhi "to not oppose the Emergency amid a promise to rule over Punjab forever". He, however, said his party's political leadership opposed the Emergency and was thrown behind bars. "In its meeting held at Amritsar, SAD decided to launch a morcha against this draconian step after which the top leadership of Akali Dal, including me, courted arrest," he said.
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