Salman Khurshid doubts genuiness of Narendra Modi's crowds abroad

FARUKHABAD/NEW DELHI: Congress leader Salman Khurshid has suggested that the crowds that gathered at Myanmar for Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been brought from India, evoking a sharp reaction from BJP which termed the comments as a reflection of "frustration".

Khurshid, former External Affairs Minister, said the streets of Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar are generally empty and wondered how a crowd of 20,000 people gathered there.

"I have been to Nay Pyi Taw twice. No one is found on the streets there. Then how come 20,000 people came to listen to him (Modi). He must have taken along many with him," Khurshid told reporters in Farukhabad in Uttar Pradesh last night.

His doubts on the genuiness of public gatherings for Modi abroad came a day ahead of the Prime Minister's scheduled address to NRIs in Sydney's Allphones Arena.

Modi is on a three-nation tour that started with Myanmar where also he addressed Indians.

Khurshid also sought to downplay Modi's Madison Square Garden event of September, saying, "In USA, organising 20,000 people and making them shouting slogans is not a big deal. If he can influence the people there then I think that would be right."

BJP leader and Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar slammed Khurshid's comments, saying, "It is bankruptcy of Congress."

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "it is sheer frustration" of the Congress party that it says that the Prime Minister takes his own people to create a crowd abroad.