Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday incorrectly attributed an Urdu couplet to 19th-century poet Mirza Ghalib in his speech in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. He used the couplet as a reply to Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's speech asking the BJP to keep the 'new India' with them and give back the 'old India'.
“Ghalib said something for such people. ‘Ta umr Ghalib ye bhool karta raha, dhool chehre pe thi, aaina saaf karta raha' (The whole life Ghalib made this mistake, the dust was on his face and he was cleaning the mirror)’,” Modi said emphasising Ghalib would be dearer to Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Modi elucidated by this that Azad has a blurred vision because he looks at everything through political spectacles.
Soon the rebuttal came from none other than Bollywood lyricist and former MP Javed Akhtar.
"The sher that the prime minister saheb has quoted in his Rajya Sabha speech is wrongly attributed to Ghalib in the Social media. Actually, both the lines are not even in the proper meter," tweeted Javed Akhtar.
Other experts also maintain the same view.
In 2012, the then chief minister of Himachal Pradesh Prem Kumar Dhumal had used same lines attributing them to Ghalib while presenting the budget.
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks