Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Modi never said Priyanka was like his daughter: BJP

May 02, 2014 17:25 IST

As a controversy raged over Narendra Modi's interview to Doordarshan, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday said that the party’s prime ministerial candidate had never said that Priyanka Gandhi was like his daughter and that the interview aired on the public broadcaster was deliberately "distorted".

A probe must be ordered to find out under whose pressure the contents of the interview were edited, he said while addressing a press conference in Varanasi.

"For nearly last 10 years Doordarshan has boycotted Modi in Gujarat. We are extremely hurt that the contents of the interview were deliberately distorted. When Modi had never said that Priyanka was his daughter, how come the news of daughter came in newspapers? Modi only said it is natural for a daughter to defend her mother and brother. This should be probed under whose pressure the interview was deliberately distorted," Prasad said.

However, the BJP leader said the main issue was the development of the country and not a probe into the interview.

Complete Coverage: Lok Sabha Election 2014

On Congress deciding to seek the services of a sitting judge to probe the snoopgate scandal, Prasad said, "The Congress had conceded defeat and is disturbed by the growing popularity of Narendra Modi, who is going to be the next prime minister of the country.

"So with a motivated and malafide intention they are approaching the judges of Allahabad High Court for the probe on snoopgate case when only 10 days are left for a change of government at the Centre," he said.

The BJP leader said, "The woman herself as well as her parents have not made any complaint on this matter and even earlier many judges have refused to probe, then why is there a hurry on the part of the Congress to approach the judges of HC for starting the probe".

Asked about the attack on a train in Chennai and the security concerns for their Prime Ministerial candidate, Prasad said, "Government must think of taking the issue of security of Narendra Modi seriously, and he must be fully protected." 

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.