PM's dyslexia jibe: body of disabled people expresses shock

Kolkata: An organisation that works for differently abled people in West Bengal Friday expressed "shock" at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment, purported to be a political jibe at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, during a discussion on dyslexia with a student on Sunday.

The prime minister's comment might demoralise researchers from taking up ventures to lessen the sufferings of the disabled people of the country, General Secretary of the Paschimbanga Rajya Pratibandhi Sammilani, Kanti Ganguly, said in a statement.

Ganguly, also a senior CPI(M) leader, said the differently abled people were "shocked" as the prime minister "has made fun of a serious condition which has been inducted as disability in the Rights of Persons with Disability (RPD) Act, 2016, passed unanimously".

Modi's remark caused public humiliation of persons with disability, Ganguly, a former state minister, claimed and added that a complaint would be lodged at the appropriate level soon in this regard.

During a video interaction on Sunday, a girl, while explaining how her project could help dyslexic children, sought to know from Modi about the measures taken by the government to benefit such children.

Before she even finished her question, the prime minister made a comment purported to be a political jibe at Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Modi asked the student whether the project for dyslexic people she was talking about would benefit a 40 or 50-year-old child. He then said the mother of such children would be very much happy.