New Delhi: Narendra Modi's “unhealthy mindset is a matter of national concern”, Congress today said taking exception to the Prime Minister's projection that he alone has brought recognition to India the world over. “The Prime Minister is making surprising claims that before May 16 (when he assumed office), India was not recognised the world over. It is a sign of unhealthy mindset to get carried away in this manner,” senior party spokesman Anand Sharma told reporters.
He said that by making such claims Modi has been insulting all past Prime Ministers including Pandit Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Noting that Prime Ministers like Pandit Nehru and Indira Gandhi were “dignified and far more cultured” while dealing with the world leaders, he suggested that Modi had not acted with tact when he referred to the US President by his first name “Barack” 23 times during a radio programme.
Obama, he said, told the banquet hosted in his honour that the Prime Minister during the tete-a-tete told him how he had started as a tea seller, how he just takes only three hours of sleep and how he had fought with a crocodile.
“The Prime Minister is not actually edifying office, (not) bringing glory. The style is a national embarrassment to my mind,” Sharma, who is also the Deputy leader of Congress in the Rajya Sabha, said in stinging remarks. The Congress spokesman said the Prime Minister has been “booed globally” as his attitude of “me, myself is not only on his sleeves but also on his suit. This is Narcissism. This unhealthy mindset is a matter of national concern.” Sharma was also caustic about what he called “obsession” of the Prime Minister to show that he has all the authority and power and he has “right” to humiliate senior scientists and civil servants.
“The mindset that he is the only lucky and the rest 125 crore people unlucky is a matter of concern,” he said criticising Prime Minister's action of removal of the Foreign Secretary and the Finance Secretary despite they having fixed tenures.
He lamented that Director of Defence Research and Development Organisation Avinash Chander, the man behind the successful launch of Agni missiles, was removed unceremoniously by the Prime Minister. This, he said, was in stark contrast of India bestowing Bharat Ratna on “Missile man” APJ Abdul Kalam and making him President.
