Gwalior, June 5 Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia criticised the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for his oblique usage of the word 'langda ghoda' (lame horse) to refer to the old members of the grand old party during his visit to Bhopal on June 3.
Without mentioning Rahul Gandhi's name, Scindia, who was earlier with Congress, said that he won't use any "insulting word" for the disabled, who are "God gifted", but some people are demeaning them.
"Disabled are those who have received extra blessings from God. But some people are demeaning them. At what level they can go, we can't even imagine," Scindia said, while talking to media persons in his home district Gwalior on Thursday.
He further reminded Rahul Gandhi that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has coined the word 'divyangjan' for disabled persons. "It means those who have the special blessings of God. Instead of revering him, they are using abusive language," Scindia said.
The Union Minister further stated that some people continue to use abusive language for the disabled and do not appreciate the Prime Minister for making changes to unwelcome terms.
Scindia made these comments while reacting to Rahul Gandhi's statement that "Langada Ghodas should be set aside from the race, otherwise, action would be taken."
Rahul Gandhi, who was on a one-day tour in Bhopal to launch 'Organisation Creation Campaign', used the term in the context of removing dead wood and bringing fresh blood into the Congress to make it fit for fighting in Madhya Pradesh.
Addressing the party workers at Ravindra Bhawan, he signalled a major overhaul of the beleaguered Madhya Pradesh Congress, Rahul Gandhi used a metaphor to outline his revival plan.
Taking a swipe at the party’s old guard, which has dominated the party for decades, he said, "There are three types of horses: A race horse, a wedding horse and a lame horse. The race horse will be put in the race, the wedding horse in a wedding and the lame one needs to be asked to retire."
"But they shouldn’t trouble others. Otherwise, they will have to face disciplinary action," he said.
Soon after Rahul Gandhi's statement, the Divyang Adhikar Mahasangh, a Jaipur-based advocacy group, formally registered an objection over Rahul's usage of the term. The group wrote to the chief commissioner for persons with disabilities, and the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), on Wednesday.
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