Mani Shankar Aiyar loses cool, abuses reporters, calls Modi 'a coward'

Shimla: Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar Tuesday pushed aside a microphone, made fists and used an expletive at reporters who questioned him about his neech jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He also called the prime minister a coward.

Aiyar lost his temper at TV reporters who met him at the Punjab government guest house here and questioned him over an article he wrote, recalling a slur he directed at Modi in 2017.

Don't you know there is a person in India, Narendra Modi. Haven't you heard about his sharp attacks. Go and ask him questions, he told them in Hindi.

No, He doesn't talk to you as he is a coward. He doesn't talk to the media, he said.

Then he raised his arms, waiving them about in an apparent imitation of Modi.

He also made a fist at the reporters and pushed away a microphone. You won't ask me any question, he warned one of them.

He then used an expletive in English, while asking them to leave.

With another set of reporters during the day, Aiyar was calmer.

He said it was just one line in his article and he will not get involved in media's "games".

"I am a fool, but not such a big fool," he said.

Referring to Modi in his article in Rising Kashmir and The Print, Aiyar wrote, "Remember how I described him on 7 December 2017? Was I not prophetic?"

In 2017, the former Union minister had called Modi "neech aadmi" following which he was suspended from the Congress party.

Congress distances itself from the remarks

The Congress Tuesday distanced itself from the remarks of its leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying it is his personal opinion, even as the party accused the prime minister of lowering the dignity of his office.

Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said his party is not on the back foot regarding Aiyar's remarks, instead it should be Modi who should be ashamed for his remarks on former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

"Mani Shankar Aiyar's remarks are his own as stated by him in his article. The Congress is neither on the back foot nor ashamed of his remarks. It's the PM who should be ashamed for lowering the dignity of the office he occupies by making disparaging remarks against former PM Rajiv Gandhi and former Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

"The PM should apologise to the country for the abusive language that he has used," Shergill said, referring to Modi recently saying Rajiv Gandhi's life ended as 'Bhrashtachari No 1' (corrupt number 1).