BAHRAICH, Uttar Pradesh -- Stung by repeated barbs by BJP leaders at former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Friday 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 here 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.
"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.
Later on, speaking at another election meeting in Balrampur, Rahul claimed the PM is going to "waive Rs 6 lakh crore of the rich, while he is silent on the loan waiver for the farmers".
"Once the SP-Congress alliance forms the government, the youngsters would be given loan worth Rs 20 lakh for starting their own enterprise. Apart from this, a high-level coaching institute would be opened in every city," he said.
At Basti, Rahul said the if alliance forms the government, it would start five women universities in the state, and establish women police station in every district.
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