Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar misbehaved with a journalist who questioned him about his "neech" jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Aiyar was at the Punjab government guest house in Shimla and lost his temper when TV reporters present there questioned him over an article he wrote recently justifying his “neech” (vile) jibe against PM Modi.

Aiyar said, "Don't you know there is a person in India, Narendra Modi. Haven't you heard about his sharp attacks? Go and ask him questions.”

Condemning and rejecting Aiyar’s statement Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that in politics people should not be violating the time-tested principle of self-discipline in the political discourse of mutual respect and adherence of ideas and ideology and not resort to verbal abuse while fighting an election.

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Randeep further said, “it was Congress president Rahul Gandhi who showed the path to give due regard even to the worst political enemy.”

Surjewala further said that hatred, violence and abuse have been the modus operandi of the BJP and not of the Congress and added that the saffron party has been blinded by rage and revenge. The Congress spokesperson condemned the PM for the language and termed it “completely unacceptable, downright insulting, abusive language for his political opponents.”

On the next course of action against Aiyar, Surjewala said that it will be discussed within the party at an appropriate forum after which future course of action will be decided.

In 2017, Aiyar was suspended from the Congress for his "neech aadmi" remark against Modi ahead of the Gujarat Assembly elections, but he was reinstated later.