Asking questions is our right: Congress hits back at PM Modi for his 'gandi aur nangi politics' jibe

New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks that the party turned the India AI Impact Summit into an arena for its "gandi aur nangi" politics, saying that asking questions is its right and the PM cannot suppress its voice to protect himself.

Addressing a public gathering after inaugurating development projects, including the Namo Bharat rail and the Meerut Metro Rail extension, the prime minister said earlier on Sunday that the Congress' conduct showed how "ideologically bankrupt and impoverished" the party had become.

He came down heavily on the Congress over its "shirtless" protest at the summit, alleging that the party turned an international event hosted by the country into an arena for its "gandi aur nangi (dirty and shameless)" politics.

Hitting back at the prime minister, the Congress said in a post on X, "Asking questions is our right. It is the responsibility of the youth of this country. Narendra Modi is compromised." "He cannot suppress our voices to protect himself," the party said.

The Indian Youth Congress (IYC), on its official X handle, said those who have been exposed in the Epstein files do not look good exposing others.

"They need to answer to the nation, not cry. What ultimately led the Prime Minister to compromise and sign an anti-India trade deal? (IYKYK 18% vs 0%)," it said in a post on X.

Former IYC chief and Congress leader Srinivas BV shared an undated purported photo of Haryana minister Anil Vij at a public gathering, apparently a protest rally, where he and others in the crowd are shirtless.

"If stripping off a T-shirt to protest is called nudity? Then what do you call this?" Srinivas wrote in the caption of the photo on X.

In his remarks at Sunday's rally, Modi alleged that the Congress crossed all limits and that its conduct drew widespread criticism across the country. However, instead of feeling ashamed, Congress leaders are glorifying those who insulted the country, the prime minister said.

At the same time, Modi thanked several opposition parties for criticising the incident, saying they stood with truth and national pride.

"While citizens are working day and night to make India a developed nation, some political parties cannot digest the country's success," Modi said.

"I want to ask Congress leaders -- the country already knows you are 'nange' (exposed), so why was there any need to strip further?" he said in a stinging rebuke of the opposition party.