‘Modi is India, India is Modi’: Mayawati says BJP no different than Congress

New Delhi: Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati has slammed the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) for encouraging a practice of sycophancy by announcing the catchy phrase ‘Modi is India, India is Modi’.

Mayawati said the BJP was no better than the Congress. She pointed out during the height of Emergency, the then Congress president Dev Kant Barooah had coined the sentence ‘Indira is India, India is Indira’.

Mayawati said this phrase has insulted India and its democracy and that the parties could not be forgiven for this ‘sin’.

The BSP leader tweeted: "By portraying Modi is India and India is Modi, the BJP/RSS are committing the same mistake and insulting India and democracy which the Congress had done earlier by declaring Indira is India & India is Indira. A huge pity and most condemnable. People should not forgive them for this sin."

Mayawati's sharp remark has been interpreted as a response to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's comment made during a poll campaign in Ghaziabad, where he dubbed the Indian Army as ‘Modiji ki Sena’.

The remark sparked controversy following which the Election Commission of India sought an explanation from Yogi Adityanath.

The poll body asked Yogi to respond by April 5.

Mayawati has recently been in the news for making statements that hint at her eagerness to be the Prime Minister of India.

The BSP and Samajwadi Party have entered into a seat-sharing alliance to defeat the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

It was thought Congress would be a part of a greater alliance in this key state but talks fell through.

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