Respect Modi but not his remarks on Rajiv Gandhi: Karnataka BJP leader

Bengaluru, May 09: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks against former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi have drawn criticism from Karnataka BJP leader and former Union Minister V Srinivas Prasad.

"LTTE planned and assassinated Rajiv Gandhi. He did not die due to corruption allegations. Nobody believes that, even I don't believe it. I have lot of respect for Modi ji, but it was not necessary for him to speak against Rajiv Gandhi," Srinivasa Prasad, a former Parliamentarian, was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.

"Rajiv Gandhi took bigger responsibilities at a young age," Prasad said on Wednesday. "Tallest personalities in politics, like (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee ji have spoken many good things about Rajiv Gandhi."

PM Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress on May 4, at a rally in Uttar Pradesh, where he indirectly called the former PM Rajiv Gandhi 'Bhrashtachari No 1'.

Apparently addressing Rahul Gandhi, he reportedly said, "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as ''Bhrashtachari No 1'' (corrupt number 1)."

He was referencing the Bofors scandal that took place in the 1980s which sharply cut the prospects of the Congress coming back to power.