Home Minister Amit Shah, speaking at a rally in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, said that CAA would not be stopped even if Rahul Gandhi's nani (maternal grandmother) were to come back to life. Shah's comment was widely shared on social media platform X and political observers called Amit Shah's personal attack on Rahul Gandhi a new low for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.
Netizens and Congress supporters said Home Minister Amit Shah's comment was in poor taste.
"The Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist brothers who have come, should they get citizenship of not? Tell me loudly, should they get citizenship of not? Rahul Baba and Akhilesh say that they will take out CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act). Rahul Baba, even if your nani comes back from the top, CAA cannot be removed," said Shah in his speech.
Though political discourse in India is known to cut personal and lacerating during heated election campaigning during the Lok Sabha Elections, mention of family members of political opponents who are no more alive can surely be avoided.
Who Was Rahul Gandhi's "Nani?"
Paola Maino, Sonia Gandhi's mother and Rahul's maternal grandmother, passed away due to an illness in Italy on 27 August 2022. She was 90 years old. Paola Maino played an instrumental role in shaping Sonia Gandhi as a person and the former Congress president was extremely close to her mother.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also posted (then tweeted) about her passing away.
"Condolences to Sonia Gandhi Ji on the passing away of her mother, Mrs. Paola Maino. May her soul rest in peace. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the entire family," the Prime Minister had said in his post.
