P Chidambaram counters PM Modi "black magic" remark with renowned Periyar's attire

|HT|

Former union minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Wednesday countered Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "black magic" remark by citing renowned socialist activist Periyar's attire as an example. PM Modi triggered a war of words Tuesday by accusing Congress of trying to spread ‘black magic’ after several leaders of the grand old party donned black clothes as a mark of protest against the inflation, unemployment and GST.

Addressing an event in Panipat virtually, the prime minister said, "On August 5, we saw how some people tried to spread 'black magic'. These people think that by wearing black clothes they can end their despondency."

"But they do not know that by engaging in witchcraft, black magic and superstition, they cannot earn the trust of people again," he added.

Chidambaram said that EV Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar, wore black shirt “all his life and earned the eternal trust of the people of Tamil Nadu.”

“PM said that those who wear black clothes will never gain public trust…E V R Periyar wore a black shirt all his life and earned the eternal trust of the people of Tamil Nadu (except those who believed in Sanatana Dharma)” he tweeted.

Earlier today, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi hit back at Modi and asked if the prime minister was unable to see inflation or unemployment in the country.

"Stop lowering the dignity of the prime minister's post and misleading the country by talking about superstitious things like 'black magic' to hide your black deeds, prime minister-ji," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

"You will have to give answers on people's issues," the former Congress chief added.

(Except for the headline and the pictorial description, this story has not been edited by THE DEN staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)