Congress leader insults PM, says 'Modi will die Hitler's death'

Stoking a fresh controversy, senior Congress leader and former Union minister Subodh Kant Sahai on Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is behaving like Adolf Hitler and "will die like Hitler" if he follows the path of the German dictator. 

The Grand Old Party, however, distanced itself from the statement made at the party's 'Satyagraha' protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against the Centre's Agnipath scheme, saying it does not endorse any indecent remarks against the prime minister. 

Addressing party workers at the 'Satyagraha', Sahai dubbed the BJP dispensation as a government of "looters". 

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"This is a government of looters. Modi is acting like a ringmaster and has adopted the role of a dictator," he said. 

"I feel he has even surpassed Hitler. Hitler had also created an organisation called 'Khaki' from within the Army. If Modi follows Hitler's path, he will die like Hitler, remember this," he said. 

Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh, said in a tweet in Hindi that the Congress will continuously fight the Modi government's dictatorial mindset and anti-people policies. 

"But it does not endorse any indecent remarks against the prime minister," Ramesh said, adding that the party's struggle will continue as per Gandhian principles. 

A few days back, former Nagpur Congress president Sheikh Hussain made unparliamentary remarks against the prime minister, saying, "Jaise Kutte ki maut hoti hai vaise Narendra Modi ki maut hogi." He made the statement while protesting against Rahul Gandhi's questioning by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the National Herald case. The police registered FIR against Hussain under Sections 294 (obscene acts and songs) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the penal code.

The Agnipath scheme, announced on June 14, provides for the recruitment of youths in the age bracket of 17-and-half to 21 years in the armed forces for only four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years. Later, the government extended the upper age limit to 23 years for recruitment in 2022. 

Congress claims the scheme is "anti-youth" and will "destroy" the Army. The party's protest is also against what it termed as "vendetta politics" of the government against Rahul Gandhi, who is being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in the National Herald money laundering case.

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(With inputs from PTI)