‘Congmen have illicit relationships’

New Delhi: Furious over the personalised targeting of BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi by Rahul Gandhi, BJP senior leader Arun Jaitley has warned the Congress of exposing the "illicit-relationships" of their leaders. Jaitley said that if the people had a right to know about the "legal" relationship of Modi, they also had a right to know about the illicit-relationships of Congressmen. The latter is more relevant for the people as it relates to the ethics of their candidates. Lashing out at Rahul for making "personal attack" at Modi, who in his election affidavit revealed for the first time that he was married, Jaitley stated , Rahul has reflected his immaturity and desperation by making the 'Modi marriage' a political issue.

Attacking the Congress Vice-President, Jaitley said Indian politics has an unstated code of conduct. "Ordinarily, we don't drag families and ladies into controversy. Rahul is guilty of breaching that code," he said. Rahul must remember that the disturbed matrimonial relationship of a former Indian Prime Minister was never a political issue. "How many current senior Congressmen are in illicit-relationships and yet have paraded their wives only for photo opportunities during nominations," he stated.

Rahul, who in a public meeting in Doda, had taken on Modi for not revealing his marital status so far and filling the column of his marriage in the affidavit only now, was defensive on the issue on Saturday. After filing his nomination papers from Amethi, Rahul stated that he did not make any personal comment but only narrated the fact that the column which was left blank earlier was filled-up this time.

In his blog, Arun Jaitley took up the cause of Modi, saying that in an affidavit before the Returning Officer in Vadodra, Modi disclosed the name of his "wife." This fact is sufficiently in public domain that Modi and the lady were made to solemnize a marriage as young children. They never lived together. Modi dedicated himself to spiritual and political activities. The lady lived with her parents, and worked as school teacher. By all accounts, the comments of lady have been extremely dignified. The requirement of filing an affidavit with the nomination form was directed by the Supreme Court as a part of the voter's right to know facts even about the private lives of their candidates. Jaitley explained that since the marriage was never acted upon in accordance with the requirements of the then law, Modi was earlier leaving the column regarding the name and assets of his spouse blank.

It is only in Sept, 2013 that the SC clarified that no column of the affidavit could be left blank. Narendra Modi, therefore, made a truthful disclosure. "Since when has declaration of a lawful relationship, whether acted upon or not, become a political issue?" he asked. Attacking Gandhi, Jaitley wondered whether the level of discourse displayed by him could at all be PMmaterial. Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath said the Commission would examine Congress complaint in accordance with the Supreme Court judgements.