Mallikarjun Kharge and PM Modi
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Thursday slammed PM Modi and the ruling BJP over the 'chaiwala' narrative, saying has he 'ever made tea or moved around train compartments with a kettle'.
As Kharge accused Modi of indulging in "drama" for electoral gains in a speech at the National MGNREGA Workers’ Convention here, the BJP hit back to say that the "arrogance of Congress never comes down".
Addressing the gathering organised by the Rachnatmak Congress, the Congress chief said, "He (Modi) says 'I am a chaiwala' only to garner votes. Have you (Modi) ever made tea and moved around inside train compartments with a kettle of tea. They are just trying to take people's vote through propaganda and I would say that all of this is just their drama. They have a habit of oppressing the poor." Criticising the Congress over the remarks, the BJP said the opposition party targets the PM because he stands firmly between Urban Naxals and Bharat.
"The arrogance of Congress never comes down! On the instructions of Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge insults PM Narendra Modi by saying — 'Kabhi chai banaya hai?' From abusing PM Narendra Modi Ji’s mother to targeting him with daily personal attacks — all because he stands firmly between Urban Naxals and Bharat," BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said in a post on X.
The people of India will teach Congress a lesson in 2029, just like they did in 2014, he added.
In his remarks at the MGNREGA convention, Kharge also launched a scathing attack on Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
"It is a government of two people -- Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. They don’t know anything, they just keep roaming around doing election propaganda....name one big achievement of theirs. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru brought so many projects," he said.
Kharge claimed that Modi keeps harping on bullet trains and Vande Bharat trains but has not been able to lay tracks as had been done during UPA rule.
"They couldn’t do any work for the poor, but they reach everywhere to wave the green flag. Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi did not do that. He (Modi) does inauguration of station, tracks," Kharge said.