In a significant development, the Election Commission served a showcause notice to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday for his controversial “panauti” (harbinger of bad luck) remark targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a poll rally in Rajasthan on November 21.
Gandhi has been summoned to appear before the poll body by 6 pm on Saturday, November 25. The notice specifically addresses Gandhi’s “panauti” and “jeb katra” (cutting pockets) remarks against the Prime Minister.
The Congress leader made the “panauti” jibe, linking Modi’s presence to India’s loss against Australia at the World Cup finals in Ahmedabad. The BJP strongly reacted, accusing Gandhi of using abusive language due to frustration from electoral losses.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar Prasad demanded an apology, stating, “What has happened to you, Rahul Gandhi? You are so troubled because of the frustration of losses that you are using abusive language against the Prime Minister of the country.”
Meanwhile, KC Venugopal of the Congress defended Gandhi’s remark, stating, “Rahul ji has said what many have been thinking since 2 days! The World Cup finals were a moment of pride for 140 crore Indians, but they were desperate to hijack it for their political mileage. The BJP should be the last ones to talk about political correctness.”
