Brush Up Your History, Indira Gandhi India's First Woman Defence Minister: Congress To PM Modi

New Delhi: The Congress on Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for referring to Nirmala Sitharaman as the country’s first woman defence minister.

Urging the Prime Minister to brush up his history, the party’s Twitter handle reminded him that Indira Gandhi was the first defence minister of India.

Taking potshots at the Prime Minister, the grand old party wondered if he had ‘missed this chapter during his entire Political Science degree’.

“FYI, Smt Indira Gandhi was the first woman Defence Minister of India – you should brush up your history – in case you missed this chapter during your entire Political Science degree,” the Congress wrote on Twitter.

Gujarat University vice-chancellor MN Patel had earlier claimed the Prime Minister had passed his post-graduation in political science with 62.3 per cent marks.

The reaction from the Opposition party came hours after Modi called Sitharaman the first woman’s defence minister while hailing Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was then in Pakistan’s captivity and is also a resident of the southern state.

He said every Indian was proud of him and lashed out at political rivals for suspecting the armed forces, an act that helped Pakistan, he said.

After inaugurating several government projects in Kanyakumari, Modi said "I am proud that India's first woman defence mininster Nirmala ji is from Tamil Nadu. Every Indian is proud that the brave wing commander Abhinandan belongs to Tamil Nadu."

The events of the past two days, an apparent reference to IAF’s air strikes and the IAF shooting down a Pakistan jet, have demonstrated yet again the strengths of the country's armed forces, Modi said.

"It has also brought our nation closer," the Prime Minister said, an obvious pointer to the outpouring of support to Abhinandan and India's armed forces from the people.

However, he said, it was sad that a few political parties "suspected our fight against terror."

When the entire nation supported the country's armed forces, they "suspected the armed forces," he said.

"These are the same people whose statements are helping Pakistan and harming India. They are the same people whose statements are happily quoted in the Parliament of Pakistan and in the radio of Pakistan," Modi said.

He also hit out at the previous Congress-led UPA government for allegedly "blocking," surgical strikes post 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008.