Taking to Twitter, the former Wayanad MP said, “The Prime Minister cracked a joke on suicides. How can anyone be so insensitive about suicides? Government statistics show that in 2021, more than 1.64 lakh Indians died by suicide. Every day, 450 people are die by suicide in our country and this is a ‘joke’ for the Prime Minister.”
Speaking at a conclave of media network on Wednesday, PM Modi shared a joke about how a professor, reading the suicide note left by his daughter, realised how she got her spellings wrong despite his efforts to get her to spell correctly. He cracked the “joke” after noting how the editor-in-chief of the media network had improved his Hindi speaking skills. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi also hit out at PM Modi over his “joke”. Taking to Twitter, she posted, “Depression and suicide, especially among the youth IS NOT a laughing matter. According to NCRB data, 164033 Indians committed suicide in 2021. Of which a huge percentage were below the age of 30. This is a tragedy, not a joke. The Prime Minister and those laughing heartily at his joke ought to educate themselves better and create awareness rather than ridicule mental health issues in this insensitive, morbid manner.”