On a day when Rahul Gandhi was in the eye of the storm after veteran Congress leader Sheila Dixit called him ‘immature', the Congress VP seems to have a dug a hole for himself at an election rally in UP. In remarks that are likely to cause a huge embarrassment to Congress’ alliance with SP, Rahul Gandhi played up unemployment in UP. He said: Ask a youth in UP what he does? He would say ‘kuch nahi’. Unemployment is a huge problem in UP.”

Earlier, stung by repeated barbs by BJP leaders at former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today said the voice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was "feebler even than that of a mouse". "The voice of PM, who has given the clarion call of Make in India, is not of a roaring lion, but even feebler than that of a mouse," Rahul told an election meeting in Mahsi assembly constituency that goes to polls on February 27. His retort came hours after BJP president Amit Shah at a rally in Azamgarh, nearly 300 km away, mocked Rahul for "often asking" as to what the Modi government has done for the country.

#UPPolls2017:Ask a youth in UP, what he does? He would say ‘kuch nahi’.Unemployment is a huge problem in UP: Rahul Gandhi in Basti, UP pic.twitter.com/EDkUIkxIXj — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 24, 2017

"Rahul Baba, the first thing that we have done is that we have given a PM who speaks. You had given a PM who did not speak for 10 years, and his voice was heard by you and your mother (Congress president Sonia Gandhi)," Shah had said. Peeved over the remark, Rahul questioned, "What is the utility of these punchlines?"

Ridiculing Modi's 'Make in India' campaign, he said almost everywhere items 'Made in China' are readily available. "Even my phone is made in China," he said.

The Congress leader accused the PM of spitting communal venom and spreading hatred since the SP-Congress alliance was forged.

Rahul said, "PM Modi has been benevolent towards the rich and has waived their loans, but not the loans of farmers." In an apparent reference to the PM's "adopted son of UP" remark, Rahul said Modi might claim relationships wherever he wants "but relationships should not be confined to lip service."

"PM Modi made a film Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge (promising achchhe din), but it later became Sholay (of Gabbar Singh fear) when notes were banned," he said.

"Not a single person accused of keeping black money has been jailed and 94 per cent of black money is still stashed away in foreign countries," he added.

Earlier, BJP mocked Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi after Sheila Dikshit's reported remark that he was "still not mature", saying the former Delhi chief minister has said what people had already known and thanked her for acknowledging it. "It was delayed, but at least the acknowledgement has come. It was already known to the people of the country. I thank Sheilaji for finally acknowledging the truth," Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told a press conference. Veteran Congress leader Dikshit was quoted in a newspaper interview as having said "Rahul is still not mature as he is still in his forties and should be given more time".

With inputs from agencies