NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday questioned the recent Congress silence on Ambani and Adani, asking how many sacks and tempos full of black and stolen money had the “Congress prince” received from them.
Speaking at poll rallies in Telangana, the PM, in a first, raked up Rahul Gandhi’s persistent attack on crony capitalism to ask why the former Congress president had suddenly fallen silent.
“What is the reason behind the Congress prince’s overnight silence on Adani and Ambani whom he kept attacking for five years… Surely, the Congress has struck a deal with them,” the PM said, inviting sharp reactions from the Congress that said the PM’s comments signalled the anxiety of impending poll loss.
Speaking in Telangana’s Warangal, Modi said, “For the past five years, the Congress prince (read Rahul Gandhi) has been parroting one line. After his Rafale issue was grounded, he picked up a new line. For five years, he has been hurling abuses at Indian industrialists. First, he began by targeting five industrialists, and then zeroed down on Ambani and then Adani,” Modi said.
He added, “I want to ask the Congress prince from the land of Telangana. The prince should declare how many bags of black money he has received from Ambani and Adani. How much money has been received by the Congress, how many tempos loaded with stolen money have come? What deal has been struck for the Congress prince to overnight stop abusing Ambani and Adani? He will have to reply to the nation,” Modi said in his latest attack on the Congress and a rare jibe at industrialists.
Reacting to the PM, Rahul Gandhi in a video message asked how PM knew that Adani and Ambani sent money in tempos. “Is it your personal experience,” Rahul asked the PM.
In the video the ex-Congress chief said, “Modiji, are you anxious? Normally you speak of Adani and Ambani in private. Today, for the first time, you spoke of them in public. And you also know that they send money in tempos? Is it your personal experience? Why don’t you send ED and CBI to them for an inquiry?” Rahul Gandhi said.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the PM’s remarks signalled his anxiety. “Times are changing. Friends are no longer friends. After the completion of three phases of elections, today the PM has started attacking his own friends. This shows that Modiji’s chair is shaking. This is the real trend of the result,” Kharge said.