Modi hits back at Rahul, says suit-boot better than suitcase

Hitting back at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s frequent “suit-boot ki sarkar” barb, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that “suit-boot is definitely more acceptable than suitcase.”

Under constant attack from Rahul who has accused Modi of catering only to the corporate sector and the rich, the prime minister said: “Suit-boot is definitely more acceptable than suitcase. After ruling for 60 years, the Congress has suddenly remembered the poor. People of this country have suffered and remained poor due to short-sighted policies of the Congress...Did the coal and spectrum scandals or the CWG fiasco benefit the poor?”

The prime minister, who spoke to a news agency, said: “Everyone knows who were the beneficiaries–some chosen industrialists and contractors. The result of Congress’s politics and governance of 60 years is that poverty is still our biggest challenge.”

“One-fourth of the families are without shelter. Health, education, water, electricity and roads are even bigger unrealised dreams for a large number of citizens of this country. You should ask them- If you were pro-poor, why does poverty still exist in India?,” Modi added.

In an interview with a newspaper, Modi rejected the attacks directed at his “acche din” (good days) promise. “When visiting an ailing person, we say don’t worry, you’ll be well (“achha ho jayega”). The word ‘achha’ (good) here is in the context of the ‘bura’ [bad] that the patient is going through. So my idea of ‘acchhe din’ is riddance of that bad. And I believe we have achieved this. Our opponents started with making fun of the idea, asking every time a train would be late if it were achhe din,” the PM said.