Singapore author questions Rahul Gandhi on 'family rule', Twitter on fire
Follow UsAn innocuous conversation at an event in Singapore has become one of the most talked about in India. Singapore-based author Prasenjit K Basu asked Congress president Rahul Gandhi about India's poor growth rate during Congress rule at a discussion during 'India At 70' event at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore.
"Why is it that during the years that your family ruled India, India's per capita income was growing less than the world average? And yet, in the years since your family relinquished the prime ministership of India, India's per capita income has grown substantially faster than the world average," Basu asked Gandhi.
Asked RaGa: “Why is is that, in all the years your family ruled, India’s per capita income grew slower than the world average, but since your family relinquished the PMship India’s per capita income has grown much faster than the world average?” Answer still awaited! Jai Hind!
— Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) March 8, 2018
The Congress president questioned Basu's hypothesis, after which the author delved into history. Basu claimed Rahul Gandhi was stumped and repeatedly failed to answer his question.
Here’s the full video of my succinct question to RaGa, and his repeated failure to answer: https://t.co/DVLLUzLbrH
— Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) March 8, 2018
A video of same event was later uploaded by Congress on its Twitter handle, and the party claimed its president handled the situation maturely. At the end of the video, Gandhi even invites Basu for a hug.
With political discourse hitting new lows everyday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi shows how to gracefully handle detractors and call their bluff. #RGinSingapore #IndiaAt70 pic.twitter.com/OnTJz0kzUx
— Congress (@INCIndia) March 8, 2018
However, this did not go well with Basu who threatened to sue Congress for what he claimed was a fake news video.
This is a classic fake-news video. You are using my image to falsely advertise your politician, showing a sequence of events that did not occur. Withdraw this false video, or prepare for prosecution in Singapore’s courts!
— Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) March 8, 2018
Thanks for posting the full video of the interaction. @INCIndia has posted a fake-news video, deleting RaGa’s repeated failure to answer the question (instead mixing my question with the next sycophantic question). And clearly the party doesn’t understand “per capita income”!
— Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) March 8, 2018
The conversation divided twitterati.
My respect for @PrasenjitKBasu just went up 3,000 notches.#RGinSingapore ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/RRq1WqvPWk
— Anuraag Saxena (@anuraag_saxena) March 8, 2018
. #RGInSingapore #IndiaAt70@PrasenjitKBasu to RaGa : y is is that, in all the yrs ur family ruled, India’s per capita income grew slower thn d world average, bt since ur family relinquished the PMship India’s per capita income has grown much faster thn d world average?”
— Tejas Barot (@imTejasBarot) March 9, 2018
RaGa: pic.twitter.com/CQph0st3mb
Singapore became developed country in less than 15 years. While India continue to be developing from 60 years of INC rule
— Saransh Srivastava (@saransh2334) March 9, 2018
The fact that you are a well educated education man, speak-read-write in English, is all because of @OfficeOfRG ‘s great grand father. That’s the Nehru-Gandhi family’s great legacy. Remove the Modi blinkers and then you can see what RG’s family has contributed to India.
— Sadhavi Khosla (@sadhavi) March 9, 2018