Congress on Wednesday also slammed BJP over its MP Paresh Rawal's 'bar wallah' jibe, which he deleted from Twitter later, conceding that it was "in bad taste"
A tweet by Youth Congress' online magazine Yuva Desh's Twitter handle mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tea-seller origin has soared the political temperature ahead of Gujarat assembly polls with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday saying that Congress will never learn its lesson.
"If the Congress has still not learnt its lesson, then I don't think they will ever learn it," Jaitley said.
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore responded to Congress' attack by reminding its leaders of previous statements made by them against PM Modi, including Sonia Gandhi's 'maut ka saudagar' and Rahul Gandhi's 'khoon ki dalali' barbs.
"The Congress is today talking about probity and cleanliness in Politics and accusing the BJP, but it has forgotten that it is the BJP that has maintained the standards of clean politics. One person that has been abused the most since India got freedom is Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Rathore said.
In a sharp reaction, Congress spokesperson Abishek Singhvi said that PM Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, and their entire party are 'serial abusers', and referred to a number of remarks made by them in past to buttress his point.
"Like there are serial killers, they are serial abusers... There is only one party, one Prime Minster, and one ruling party chief, who are in the front as far as taking the political discourse to gutter is concerned," Singhvi said.
Calling the BJP "mother of indecent statements" he asked BJP to apologise.
Congress on Wednesday also slammed BJP over its MP Paresh Rawal's 'bar wallah' jibe, which he deleted from Twitter later, conceding that it was "in bad taste".
"Our Chai-Wala is any better than your Bar-Wala," Rawal, who is MP from Ahmedabad East said on Twitter reacting to the 'chai-wallah' remark.
As BJP went all guns blazing, an apparently embarrassed Congress on Tuesday disapproved of the tweet. The discomfiture in Congress with the meme was all the more palpable as it came just days after Rahul Gandhi's advice to Congress party's social media cadre in Gujarat not to disrespect the PM's post.
Congress has been wary of any personal attack on Modi's origins.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani termed the tweet of 'Yuva Desh' as "classist and anti-poor" and asked Rahul Gandhi if he supports this kind of tweet while Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asking Sonia Gandhi and Rahul as to whether they "still believe that only u have a divine right to rule India". He also said Congress "thinking towards the poor stands exposed".
Latching on to the tweet of Rawal, Surjewala remarked " To what cheapness and filth, the BJP MP of Gujarat has stooped. Is this the BJP's definition of the honour of women. Modiji apologise and take action…"
The all-out war on social media has broken out between BJP and Congress in the run up to Gujarat polls as the medium is playing a big role in the high-octane election campaign by both sides.
The meme on Modi, which has been deleted, showed PM Modi speaking to US President Donald Trump and Britain's PM Theresa May in Hindi speech bubbles. PM Modi is seen asking, "Have you guys seen how maymay's made on me by the opposition?". Trump corrects PM Modi and responds, "It is called memes, not maymays," while Britain's PM is seen responding with remarks, "You sell tea."
In the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar had mocked Modi's tea-seller origin saying that while Modi will never become the Prime Minister of the country.but if he wants to distribute tea here, we will find a place for him. Many in the Congress felt the remark antagonized the poor.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Arun Jaitley")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}