Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a panauti (bad omen) on Tuesday saying that his entry made India lose the final of the ICC World Cup 2023 against Australia.
He took a dig at PM Modi while addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Jalore where he said, “Ache bhale hamare ladke waha pe World Cup jeet jaate, par panauti harwa diya (Our boys would have won the World Cup, but the ‘bad omen’ made them lose it).”
He also slammed PM Modi for claiming to represent the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in his older speeches and later not doing anything for their development. He said that the OBCs were greater in number but the Centre did not bother about their development.
On Tuesday, the Congress released its manifesto – ‘Jan Ghoshna Patra’ – for the Rajasthan assembly elections, which is set to be held on November 25. Results for the voting will be declared on December 3. Looking to retain power in Rajasthan, the Congress has announced seven vows for the people including the promise to introduce a new scheme for recruitment at the panchayat level and caste census.
Meanwhile, responding to the Wayanad MP, BJP MP and former Union Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that the Congress leader’s choice of words was wrong. “Rahul Gandhi chose the wrong words. What has happened to him?” asked Prasad.
He further said that the party condemned Rahul’s remarks and sought an apology from him at the earliest. Prasad also recalled how Rahul’s mother Sonia Gandhi had called PM Modi ‘maut ka saudagar’ at a rally in Gujarat. “Your party has not been able to win in Gujarat after your mother's remarks. You should learn from the past,” he said.
Moreover, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman also condemned the remarks made by Rahul Gandhi. While addressing the media in Hyderabad, Sitharaman said, “It’s such a despicable comment. He (Rahul Gandhi) is continuing the Congress tradition of calling all abusive names for Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Is that how sports is going to be encouraged? Is that the route through which Congress wants to encourage sports in the country?”
“The Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) of the Modi government has resulted in wonderful victories, whether it is at the Asian Games, Olympics or even the Paralympics. We can all see the approach that Congress takes, whether it’s in sports or in their hatred for the Prime Minister,” she further added.
