Rahul Gandhi mocks Modi over wedlock confession

(MENAFN- Arab News) New delhi: rahul gandhi vice president of the ruling congress party has accused opposition election frontrunner narendra modi of hypocrisy over his belated disclosure that he is married


Bharatiya janata party (bjp) premier candidate modi 63 is routinely described as a bachelor and is thought to have lived alone in his adult life having risen through the ranks of a grassroots hindu nationalist organisation in which celibacy is expected


But on wednesday modi acknowledged he had a wife in an affidavit while filing papers to run for the national parliament in western gujarat state


Gandhi the 43-year-old scion of india's famous political dynasty and unwed himself is leading the campaign for congress which is tipped to lose to the bjp in elections that began this week


He said modi promises respect and security for women while on the campaign trail but never acknowledges his own wife


"i don't know how many elections he (modi) has fought before but this is the first time he's mentioned he's married" gandhi told an election rally in the northern state of jammu and kashmir


Modi chief minister of gujarat has contested seats four times in the state's regional assembly but never previously revealed his marital status on affidavits


"in delhi posters read 'respect for women' but his wife's name never reaches his affidavit" gandhi said


In the column of the affidavit mentioning spouses modi wrote the name "jashodaben". but he stated elsewhere in the filing he had "no information" about her


Modi's brother said in a statement thursday that modi was betrothed as a child to the now 62-year-old retired schoolteacher who gave an interview in february in which she said she didn't "feel bad" about not being part of her husband's life


"i know he is doing so due to destiny" modi's wife told the indian express in february


The marriage formalised when modi was 17 is never believed to have been consummated. modi went on to rise through the ranks of the rashtriya swayamsevak sangh a hindu group which frowns on marriage for its senior cadres


India's mammoth national election which kicked off monday has been described as a "battle of the bachelors" pitting gandhi against modi. results are due on may 16


Last month gandhi said he would wed "when i find the right girl". in the past he has been linked to several foreign girlfriends.