Congress tweets Delhi University teachers' letter on Modi's Rajiv jibe

Various Twitter handles associated with the Congress on Tuesday tweeted a letter purportedly signed by over 100 teachers of Delhi University that condemned a recent statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi against former PM Rajiv Gandhi.

The official Twitter handle of the Congress re-tweeted a post by senior party leader Sam Pitroda. Pitroda wrote, “Statement by over 200 Delhi University teachers condemning Narendra Modi for his remarks on the late Rajiv Gandhi with actual signatures... Sharing some of them here.”

Writer Sadhavi Khosla, who had previously worked for the BJP for its 2014 election campaign but later became a critic, was among the first to share the letter. Khosla tweeted about the Delhi University teachers' letter at 10.40pm on Monday. She wrote “Hundreds of Delhi University teachers condemn PM @narendramodi for false and crude remarks on former PM Bharat Ratna Rajiv Gandhi...”

In the letter, the signatories write, “We... teachers of University of Delhi strongly condemn the recent statement by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on the late Shri Rajiv Gandhi.”

The Delhi University teachers' letter claims, “the achievements of the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi are known to all”. It states, “When India beat back the invaders from Kargil, our soldiers shouted slogans praising Rajiv Gandhi for the Bofors gun even though Rajivji had been martyred a decade ago.” The Delhi University teachers' letter also praises Rajiv Gandhi's “acumen in computerising rail reservation” and ushering in the IT and telecom revolutions.

The Delhi University teachers' letter declares “Modi has lowered the dignity of the office of the prime minister by making derogatory and untrue remarks about the late Rajivji who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation. No former prime minister has ever stooped to this level through such actions as has Narendra Modi.”

The first few signatories listed in the Delhi University teachers' letter are all former office-bearers of the Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA). Interestingly, the first name on the list, Dr Aditya Narayan Misra, is also a member of the Congress party's Vichar Vibhag (ideology cell).