'My Mother Sacrificed Her Mangalsutra For Nation,' AICC General Secretary

Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remark that Congress party would snatch away ‘mangalsutra’ (sacred thread) worn especially by married Hindu women drew criticism from general secretary of All India Congress Committee Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday and she stated that her mother (Sonia Gandhi) sacrificed her mangalsutra for the nation while her grandmother and late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi pledge gold for the nation. 

Priyanka Gandhi referred assassination of her father Rajiv Gandhi by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam  (LTTE) in 1991 while reacting to Modi's remark. 

At an election rally in Bengaluru city on Tuesday and she stated that Modi has raised ‘trivial’ issues over serious problems confronting the nation and stated that ‘mangalsutra’ has been raised up by the Prime Minister to create fear among the people for the sake of votes in the ensuing Lok Sabha election. “He should be ashamed of it,” she said to Modi.

In her speech at the election rally, Priyanka Gandhi said the country got Independence 75 years back and Congress party ruled the country for about 55 years and questioned “Did ever Congress party snatch mangalsutras?”

“Had Modi understood the significance of mangalsutra worn by women he would not have spoken unethically,” she said and stated that “He (Modi) cannot understand the reality.”

She asked “Did he think of mangalsutras of farmers where 600 of the agitating farmers lost their lives in the country?” and pointed at an incident in Manipur wherein a woman was paraded naked in public. Priyanka said “Modi did not think of mangalsutras then?”

Criticising Modi over his remark, she said “These (BJP) will never understand that a woman is service oriented for the family, a woman will not sleep until other members of her family sleep, she will go hungry for the family and also pledge her valuables in times of emergency.”

“If Modi has concern for mangalsutra (women) then should have generated jobs for sons, initiated steps to reduce price rise and steps to empower women,” she said and asked the voters “How long will elections be fought creating rift between Hindus and Muslims in the country?”

She asked the voters to decide on ‘ethical’ politics of the Congress party over ‘drama’ politics of BJP.

Questioning the contributions of Modi as a Prime Minister in a decade, Priyanka accused that the BJP led Central Government never came for the rescue of the people while policies were framed keeping in mind rich businessmen. The small traders never got a policy for them under Modi.