Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma
Congress spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh’s claim to fame was making his counterpart, Bharatiya Janata Party’s Sambit Patra, sweat on live TV by asking him how many zeros there are in 5 trillion and sing Ramayana chaupai.
As Patra failed to answer, Vallabh became an overnight internet sensation.
Speaking to The Quint, here’s what the Congress spokesperson had to say about the incident:
“Asking a question doesn’t mean I am condescending. I just asked the question to know how serious a person is about a topic he speaking on. He doesn’t know about GDP and economy growth.”Gaurav Vallabh, Congress spokesperson
He also said that ‘headline management’ these days is harming the nation.
When asked about his relation with Patra, Vallabh said that he did not want to offend him. “I usually meet him on TV channels. We share a mutual respect for each other,” he said, adding that they are neither friends nor foes.
As BJP Treads on Nationalism, What’s Congress’ Next Step?
As the BJP continues using the nationalism narrative, Vallabh asks what is nationalism.
Without naming Pakistan, Vallabh said, “During prime time, the big TV channels compare my prime minister to the prime minister of a cowardly nation… I won’t take the name of the nation, but comparing my prime minister to theirs? Because of this comparison, my prime minister is being brought down.”
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