madhya-pradesh-elections

Updated: Nov 25, 2018 20:33 IST

In a sharp attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused him of defending those who were dragging in his parents’ names in election rallies. Modi argued that Congress was doing so because they had run out of issues and did not want to take on the BJP on a debate over development.

Speaking at a public meeting in Vidisha, Modi said, “Two days ago they dragged my mother’s name during a rally and today I read in social media that they had dragged my father’s name who died 30 years ago and had nothing to do with politics, and ‘Namdaar’ (Gandhi) is defending them.”

Modi was referring to comments made by Congress leader Vilasrao Muttemwar during an election meeting in Rajasthan. Muttemwar had reportedly said that the world knows who Rahul Gandhi’s parents were, but no one knew who Modi’s father was.

Defending his attack on Gandhi’s family, Modi said that he was targeting them only because they were in public life, had held the highest positions in the country and, therefore, were accountable to the public.

“I am ready for any debate on development. Their four generations and chai wala’s four years, their 55 years and our 15 years in Madhya Pradesh” Modi said.

Modi said Congress morale was going down as elections approached, but BJP’s was going up. “When people run out of issues and lose confidence in themselves, they resort to abuses,” he added.

Taking a swipe at former chief minister Digvijaya Singh, Modi said the Congress leader himself said the party did not want him to campaign because he reminded people of their misrule.

“Do you want your sons to suffer as you all did during the Congress regime?” he asked the elders among the audience.

Speaking on Congress’s decline, he said in whichever state the party lost power, they never came back. “In Bihar, people were willing to accept Lalu but not Congress,” Modi said.

Accusing the Congress of spreading lies, he listed the development work done by Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the state in road construction, agriculture, health and other areas.