JOIN USBJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Tuesday appealed to voters to ensure his party’s victory in 300 Lok Sabha constituencies, but his use of Kargil hero Vikram Batra’s oft-quoted phrase “Yeh dil maange more” sparked a controversy with Batra’s parents raising objections.
The BJP defended Modi saying the martyr’s quote was not the family’s property, but the Congress attacked the BJP for insulting the war hero. He used the phrase several times during his rallies in Himachal Pradesh to stir up the sentiments of the people, where a large chunk of population comprises serving as well as retired servicemen. Using the slogan, Modi urged the people to ensure that the BJP gets 300 seats.
“I ask you to make the lotus win with 300 seats because ‘Yeh dil maange more’ just like Vikram Batra, who gave his life for the country in the Kargil war,” Modi said in Mandi later, donning a traditional Himachali cap.
The martyr’s family disapproved of the comment and said his sacrifice should not be politicised.