Crowds for Modi in Myanmar Brought From India: Khurshid

Congress leader Salman Khurshid has suggested that the crowds that gathered at Myanmar for Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been brought from India, evoking a sharp reaction from the Bharatiya Janata Party which termed the comments as a reflection of ‘frustration’.

Khurshid, former external affairs minister, said the streets of Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar are generally empty and wondered how a crowd of 20,000 people gathered there.

"I have been to Nay Pyi Taw twice. No one is found on the streets there. Then how come 20,000 people came to listen to him (Modi). He must have taken along many with him," Khurshid told media persons in Farukhabad in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday night.

His doubts on the genuiness of public gatherings for Modi abroad came a day ahead of the Prime Minister's scheduled address to NRIs in Sydney's Allphones Arena.

Modi is on a three-nation tour that started with Myanmar where also he addressed Indians. Khurshid also sought to downplay Modi's MadisonSquareGarden event of September, saying, "In USA, organising 20,000 people and making them shouting slogans is not a big deal. If he can influence the people there then I think that would be right."

BJP leader and Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar slammed Khurshid's comments, saying, "It is bankruptcy of Congress."

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "it is sheer frustration" of the Congress party that it says that the prime minister takes his own people to create a crowd abroad.

"Does the Congress not realise that here we have an Indian PM who, because of his sheer hardwork, because of his mission of development, who, because of his personality, is drawing the people not only in India but across the world," Patra asked. "The Congress does not have a leader of stature today. It does not have a leader to match the charisma of Narendra Modi," Patra added.

Targeting Modi, Khurshid also said, "India will be strong when people over there (abroad) would be influenced. I think the PM should concentrate on people there instead of taking people from here."

Making fun of the Congres, Javadekar said, "No one comes to listen to them in India whereas people come to listen to Modiji there (abroad) also. That is why they are unhappy."