NEW DELHI, Dec 12: Congress leader Pawan Khera took a sarcastic jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his meeting with the Kapoor family on the 100th birth anniversary of legendary actor Raj Kapoor. In a post that was later deleted, Khera mocked PM Modi, suggesting that when opposition leaders had asked the Prime Minister to visit Manipur, he mistakenly thought they were referring to meeting actress Kareena Kapoor. Khera wrote, “Hum toh boley the Manipur, woh samajh baithe Kareena Kapoor,” which translates to, “We said Manipur, he thought Kareena Kapoor.”

The comments came after PM Modi met the Kapoor family, including Kareena Kapoor, to discuss the legacy of Raj Kapoor, who is widely regarded as one of India’s greatest showmen. During the meeting, the Prime Minister suggested that the family make a documentary on Raj Kapoor’s influence, particularly his role in promoting India’s “soft power” across Central Asia at a time when the term was not even commonly used. Modi proposed that the film should focus on the late actor’s impact on the hearts and minds of people in Central Asia and help link Raj Kapoor’s legacy to the younger generation.

Kareena Kapoor later took to social media to express gratitude to PM Modi for the invitation to the meeting, calling it an honor to commemorate her grandfather’s extraordinary life and legacy. She also mentioned that the Kapoor family had invited the Prime Minister to attend the Raj Kapoor Film Festival, which will be held from December 13 to 15, organized by PVR INOX Limited and the Film Heritage Foundation across 101 cinemas in 34 cities.

Khera’s post, which was deleted soon after, came in the context of the ongoing demand from opposition parties for PM Modi to visit Manipur, which has been affected by ethnic violence since May last year. More than 250 people have been killed and thousands displaced in the ethnic conflict.