The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday took a swipe at Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar for his remarks drawing parallels between Mahatma Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Vice President while addressing a programme in Mumbai on Monday called Gandhi “mahapurush” (great man) of the last century and Modi “yugpurush” (man of the century).

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Referring to Dhankhar’s statements, Congress MP Manickam Tagore in a post on X wrote, “If you compare with Mahatma it’s shameful Sir. We all know there is a limit to sycophancy now you have crossed that limit, and to be in your chair and position and to be a sycophant does not add value Sir. With respect, Vice President.”

Echoing a similar sentiment, his party colleague and MP Manish Tewari in a post on the micro blogging site, wrote, “The VP never ceases to amaze. This one has however taken the cake of …”

“We may have personal views but to be completely unmindful of the position one occupies is beyond belief. Sad what has the Vice Presidency come too,” the parliamentarian said.

Congress national spokesperson Shama Mohamed also took to X and wrote, “ To compare Narendra Modi to the Mahatma is an insult to Bapu’s memory and the values of tolerance, secularism, and brotherhood that he espoused.”

“The VP should not forget that Prime Minister Modi has rewarded those who called Godse a ‘Deshbhakt’. He should apologise to the nation for trying to sully the legacy of our Bapu,” she said.

Taking a dig at Dhankhar, Delhi minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj said, “Jagdeep Dhankhar was made Vice President by BJP. What will he do ? Those who made him Vice President, he will only praise them. Not just Mahatma, he can say that he( Modi) is Lord Vishnu’s Avatar. He can say anything.”

In his address at the ‘Atmakalyan Diwas’ celebrations on Shrimad Rajchandraji’s birth anniversary in Mumbai, the VP said, “Mahapurush’ of the last century was Mahatma Gandhi while the ‘Yugpurush’ of this century is Narendra Modi. Mahatma Gandhi freed us from the slavery of the British with the help of truth and non-violence. PM Modi took us forward on the path of progress, which we always wanted to see.”