NEW DELHI: Union Minister Shashi Tharoor today hit back at Narendra Modi for the personnel comments that the Gujarat chief minister had made on Monday.
Tharoor in a tweet said that his wife was priceless and Modi needs to love someone to know that.
Tharoor tweeted: My wife is worth a lot more than your imaginary 50 crores. She is priceless. But you need2be able2love some1 2understand that.
Tharoor was backed by Congress leader R.P.N. Singh and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Brinda Karat.
"You can understand the type of people who point fingers and make derogatory remarks about women... Their speech speaks stronger than their act," R.P.N. Singh, minister of state for home, told reporters.
Karat lashed out at Modi for his "anti-woman ideology".
"Only a sick and perverted mind representing an anti-women RSS ideology will make such a statement. He is a blot on this country," Karat told IANS on phone from Himachal Pradesh.
Addressing a rally in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, Modi said: "There was a Congress leader who was a minister in Parliament. He was accused of amassing wealth from cricket. He had said in Parliament that he is not connected to the Rs 50 crore that in the lady's name."
Modi also asked: "Have you ever heard of Rs 50 crore girlfriend?"
Modi takes on Sonia, PM again
Modi has accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi for making false promise in 2009 to tame inflation.
Modi, who is campaigning in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh, said that the Congress Party had promised to curb inflation within 100 days of coming to power but failed to do so.
"The Congress party in 2009 had promised that if it comes to power at the federal level, it would effectively curtail inflation within 100 days. Did it live upto the expectations? Sadly no. It was the duty of the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh to give an answer to the public when he rallied in Himachal Pradesh. Dr. Singh and Sonia Gandhi came to rally here but none of them addressed the issue even once," said Modi.
Continuing to train gun on Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, Modi said Sonia Gandhi, who while campaigning in state's Mandi district said that UPA government had allocated Rs. 10,000 crores to BJP-ruled Himachal Pradesh but the state lapsed them last year.
"Sonia Gandhi said that the government had allocated Rs. 10,000 crore to Himachal Pradesh state. I want to ask her that 'does she consider Himachal Pradesh a beggar'? Do you think the state was begging in New Delhi for the fund to be disbursed? The country also wants to ask her that has she (Italian born Congress chief) brought the fund as a dowry with her?" said Modi. (Agencies)