New Delhi [India] February 5 : Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the PM was "scared of the truth" and had taken "refuge in lies."
In a post shared on X, Rahul Gandhi wrote, "Just so much panic from questions? Modi ji, so scared of the truth, sought refuge in lies. Well, did what seemed right."
https://x.com/RahulGandhi/status/2019410760791974258
The ex-Army Chief General MM Naravane's unpublished memoir row centres on Rahul Gandhi's attempt to cite Naravane's unpublished memoir on the 2020 China standoff in eastern Ladakh, which BJP leaders said violated House rules and risked demoralising the armed forces. It led to an all-out BJP versus Opposition slugfest inside and outside the House during these recent days.
Lok Sabha LoP's post came hours after PM Modi, while replying to the motion of thanks on the President's Address in Rajya Sabha, launched a scathing attack on the Congress, taking aim at the party's "Yuvraj' over a controversial "traitor" remark made against BJP MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, calling it an insult to the Sikh community and a reflection of Congress' "arrogance at its peak."
PM Modi referred to the incident in which Rahul Gandhi called Ravneet Bittu a "traitor" outside Parliament as Bittu quit the Congress and joined the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
"What happened yesterday -- the 'Yuvraj' of Congress, who has a 'shaatir dimaag' called a member of this House a traitor. His arrogance is at its peak. He did not call others who left Congress traitors, but he said it to this MP because he is a Sikh. This is an insult to Sikhs, an insult to the Gurus. This shows the hatred Congress carries," PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister questioned how a political shift could justify branding someone anti-national. "Just because someone changed ideology, he becomes a traitor? This is not a small word. How can the country tolerate a citizen being called a traitor?" he asked, adding that such behaviour would only push Congress further into decline. "Such people will sink Congress," PM Modi added.
The row erupted after Rahul Gandhi and Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu had a verbal exchange near the Makar Dwar of Parliament on Wednesday. Gandhi said, "Here is a traitor walking right by. Look at the face," and later added, "Hello, brother, my traitor friend. Don't worry, you will come back." Bittu refused to shake hands and shot back, calling Gandhi "Desh ke dushman."
PM Modi further broadened his attack on the Congress, accusing it of betraying farmers, delaying development and lacking the will to implement projects. "Congress' working style has been -- delay, obstruct, confuse. They only know the jeep and mule model," he said, referring to outdated decision-making.
The Prime Minister said his government was correcting the damage left behind. "Our considerable energy is going into washing away the image of their era. They left the country in the same condition, and now we are moving forward. The world is trusting India because today the country has boarded the Reform Express," he told the House.