Amarinder Singh takes a swipe at Narendra Modi for lauding Parkash Singh Badal as 'Nelson Mandela of India'

NEW DELHI: Congress Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Amarinder Singh today ridiculed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for describing Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal as ' Nelson Mandela of India', and said it was an "insult" to the South African leader who fought apartheid.

"Who says our Prime Minister does not have a sense of humour?... Either it is a tongue in cheek comment by the Prime Minister and he really did not mean what he said, or he actually does not know what he is saying.

"If Modi really meant so, it is an insult to the great stature of Nelson Mandela who singlehanded fought against and defeated the apartheid in South Africa. There can be no greater insult to Mandela than comparing someone like Badal with him," Singh said in a statement.

At an event earlier today to mark Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan's 113th birth anniversary and to felicitate many of those who fought against Emergency and went to jail in 1975-76, Modi lauded Badal as the 'Nelson Mandela of India', saying "he has spent so many years in prison and that too for political reasons."

Amarinder said Mandela had spent 27 years in jail, in isolation and solitary confinement fighting against apartheid, whereas Badal may not have spent a total of even 27 months in jail, and most of the time in luxury and hospitality of the government.

"Most of the jail terms of Badal were voluntary as he would always hide behind the safety and the hospitality of the government guest houses after sparking trouble in Punjab," he said.