Modi defends caste interpretation of Priyanka's jibe at him

New Delhi, May 8 (IANS) BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi Thursday defended his caste interpretation of Priyanka Gandhi's "low-level politics" comment, saying that he was most familiar with Gujarati language and in it, "the meaning approximates to the response I have given".

In an interview to Times Now, Modi said he had given factual information about an episode concerning former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi while addressing a rally in Amethi, from where Priyanka Gandhi's brother and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is contesting, May 5.

"Even if one word is spiteful or bitter, I am willing to apologise to all. I have given factual information. That factual information is available. What I said was, that at the Hyderabad airport, a certain Andhra minister was insulted.

Can you deny that fact? Is it wrong to give factual information to the people of this country?" Modi said.

Modi said if he had said anything bad about Rajiv Gandhi, then, as his daughter, Priyanka Gandhi had the right to get even more angry.

"I raise no objections to that. But when you don't even discuss that, and use it to attack me, it is not right," Modi said.

"You have the right to emotionally blackmail me, don't I have the right to at least state the truth? Is it because I come from a humble background, from a humble family? Has this country become like that? Has my democracy submitted itself to one family? And when a poor man says something, there is uproar," he said.

Asked if he believed Priyanka Gandhi had made a reference to his caste, Modi said he was most familiar with Gujarati language.

"In Gujarati, the meaning approximates to the response I have given. Secondly, as I said yesterday, when there was talk of 'neech' deeds and 'neech' castes, isn't the CWG (Commonwealth Games) scam an example of 'neech' politics?... I am responding also to the definition of 'neech' acts and 'neech' politics given by others. Take caste out of it, by all means. I have no objections to that," Modi said.

Asked if he had sought to enter caste into political debate, Modi said he agreed that usage of word "neech" is not good.

"Let's assume I misunderstood. But even their intention behind such usage of the words was incorrect," Modi said.

Priyanka Gandhi had made a strong attack on Modi over his speech in Amethi and said he had insulted her "martyred" father Rajiv Gandhi and people of the constituency will not forgive this.

"They have insulted my martyred father on the soil of Amethi. People of Amethi will never forgive them for this wrong act. My workers at booths will reply to this `neech (low-level)' politics. Each and every booth of Amethi will give a reply," she had said.

In his speech at Amethi, Modi had attacked the Gandhis and accused the Congress of "arrogance".

He said Rajiv Gandhi, when he was a Congress office bearer, had "humiliated" the then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister T. Anjaiah, who ruled from 1980-82, at an airport.