‘He is unable to be a proper dictator’: Shehzad Poonawalla takes sarcastic swipe at PM Modi
New Delhi: Former BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Saturday took a sarcastic swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he had failed to act like a “proper dictator” despite completing 12 years in power.
“Friends, I am totally disappointed with PM Narendra Modi,” Poonawalla said, because “he is unable to be a proper dictator”.
Sarcasm over forgiveness
In a video posted on Instagram, Poonawalla used sarcasm to argue that Modi’s decision to forgive youngsters accused of abusing him showed that he was not dictatorial.
“It’s been 12 years and he is a failure. He doesn’t know how to be a dictator properly. Instead of being a dictator, he released a video last night and, to the kids who have abused him, constitutional authorities, his mother, he says these are just ‘mischievous’ kids and forgives them,” he said.
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Poonawalla referred to the Prime Minister’s video posted on July 31. Modi said he wanted to forgive those who allegedly used abusive language against him and his late mother during the Cockroach Janta Party-led protests.
The protests, which drew a large number of young participants, had also led to Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as education minister.
Swipe at Rahul Gandhi
Poonawalla compared Modi’s response with the political record of the Nehru-Gandhi family.
“Rahul Gandhi is a descendant of Indira Gandhi, of (Jawaharlal) Nehru. Learn from him what’s real dictatorship, what’s real Emergency,” he said. “Look at their history!”
He referred to the Emergency imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi between 1975 and 1977. He also cited the Anna Hazare movement of 2011-12 and recent cases over Instagram posts and student protests in Congress-ruled Kerala and Telangana.
“These Left liberals, all their hopes, you have ruined them,” Poonawalla said before telling Modi, “You are unable to be a dictator. You have failed.”
Emergency debate continues
His remarks came after Union Minister JP Nadda invoked the Emergency during a Rajya Sabha debate on July 29. Nadda defended police action against protesters and said authorities had arrested him from his classroom several times during the Emergency.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had sought action over the police use of batons and tear gas during the July 20 “Sansad Chalo” march.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke later reposted Nadda’s remarks. CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka asked, “You mean to say that the country hasn’t progressed one bit in the last 50 years?”