Modi’s Favourite Chaiwallah Tells Congress,“We Work, Not Steal”

As ‘chaiwallah’ jibes against the PM make headlines again, listen to what Modi’s favourite tea seller has to say.

Kiran Mahida, the tea seller from Vadodara who signed Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha nomination papers in 2014.

(Photo: Meghnad Bose/The Quint)

Kiran Mahida, the tea seller from Vadodara who proposed Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha nomination in 2014, responds to the ‘chaiwallah’ jibes against the Prime Minister.

<i>Koi bhi dhanda chhota nahi hota hai.</i> No profession is lowly. We work, we do not steal. Mani Shankar Aiyar had suffered because of his chaiwallah comment against Modi in 2014, remember? What happened? Modi went on to become Prime Minister.

Kiran Mahida

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Modi took a potshot on the issue as well, while addressing a rally in Rajkot.

The Congress dislikes me because of my poor origin. Can a party stoop so low? Yes, a person belonging to a poor family has become the prime minister. They do not fail to hide their contempt for this fact. Yes, I sold tea but I did not sell the nation.

Narendra Modi

On 21 November, the Indian Youth Congress’ online magazine Yuva Desh had tweeted a meme in which British Prime Minister Theresa May was seen telling Modi, “Tu chai bech”.

The ‘chaiwallah joke’ tweeted by Yuva Desh, the Indian Youth Congress’ online magazine.

Yuva Desh later deleted the tweet, and Congress politicians distanced the party from the comment as well, but the BJP had latched on to the Congress’ faux pas by then.

Video editor: Purnendu Pritam

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