New Delhi [India], May 2 : Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal on Friday launched a scathing attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the latter's "disturb sleep of many" remark, stating that it would be the PM, who would have sleepless nights, not the INDIA bloc.
"We will sleep peacefully, but it is going to be difficult for the PM to sleep," Venugopal told reporters.
He said they would put "maximum pressure" on the centre over implementing the recently approved caste census, especially regarding the increase in the reservation cap of 50 per cent.
"We won't allow PM and his cabinet to continue this, as with the Women's Reservation Bill. We will put maximum pressure, especially on increasing the cap of 50 per cent," Venugopal said.
"I don't know on what grounds PM is saying like this. The PM will be the one who will be having sleepless nights, not the INDIA alliance, Rahul Gandhi or Congress. We are going to put maximum pressure on him on the issue of the caste census," he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a political jibe at the Opposition INDIA bloc during the inauguration of the Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala on Friday in Thiruvananthapuram, stating that the presence of Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on stage "would disturb the sleep" of many people.
In his address during the public event after the inauguration, PM Modi said, "I want to tell Chief Minister (Pinarayi Vijayan), you are a strong pillar of INDI alliance, Shashi Tharoor is also sitting here. Today's event is going to disturb the sleep of many."
While the translator who translated the Prime Minister's message in Hindi to Malayalam could not deliver the exact translation, PM Modi said, "The message has gone wherever it has to go."
PM Modi's jibe comes after the centre included caste enumeration in the forthcoming census. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the decision on April 30 following the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs meeting.