A new controversy has erupted after several media outlets including news agency ANI reported that former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit appeared to have criticised former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for being soft dealing with terrorism.
She was quoted as saying, “Manmohan Singh, yes I agree with you, was not as strong and as determined as he (Modi) is. But there is also a feeling that he is doing all this for politics.”
Her comments evoked strong reactions from her political rivals and users on social media. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia reacted with I-told-you-so analogy by accusing the Congress of covertly helping the BJP in this year’s Lok Sabha polls.
Sisodia wrote, “We’ve already said that the Congress is working towards making Narendra Modi the prime minister once again.”
हम तो पहले से ही कह रहे थे कि इस बार कांग्रेस, मोदी जी को दोबारा पीएम बनाने पर काम कर रही है… https://t.co/Nf8cbeUvqX
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) March 14, 2019
Kejriwal agreed, “Comments made by Sheila ji are indeed shocking. Something is indeed brewing between the Congress and the BJP.”
शीला जी का ये बयान वाक़ई चौंकाने वाला है। भाजपा और कांग्रेस में कुछ तो खिचड़ी पक रही है। https://t.co/faReHmwWjQ
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 14, 2019
Dikshit, for her part, denied the allegations and said that her comments had been taken out of context. She tweeted, “I have seen some media is twisting my comments made in an interview. Here is what I said – it may seem to some people that Mr Modi is stronger on terror but I think this is a poll gimmick more than anything else..”
I have seen some media is twisting my comments made in an interview. Here is what I said – it may seem to some people that Mr Modi is stronger on terror but I think this is a poll gimmick more than anything else..
— Sheila Dikshit (@SheilaDikshit) March 14, 2019
Her subsequent tweet read, “I also added that national security has always been a concern and Indira ji has been a strong leader.”
I also added that national security has always been a concern and Indira ji has been a strong leader. https://t.co/wtJzfTY1E5
— Sheila Dikshit (@SheilaDikshit) March 14, 2019
Journalist Vir Sanghvi, who had interviewed her for his programme, to be broadcast on News18 this weekend, agreed with Dikshit. He wrote on Twitter, “I did the interview in question. She is absolutely right. Let’s not take what she said out of context and twist it. You can see the whole interview on Virtuosity on @CNNnews18 this weekend.”
I did the interview in question. She is absolutely right. Let’s not take what she said out of context and twist it. You can see the whole interview on Virtuosity on @CNNnews18 this weekend https://t.co/AuztoxfCSO
— vir sanghvi (@virsanghvi) March 14, 2019
