‘Why should I listen to Narendra Modi’: Rahul Gandhi on PM’s criticism
Referring to the Congress leader, the prime minister had said on Wednesday that he could not hold dialogue with person who ‘does not listen’.
At an election rally in Uttarakhand on Thursday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi questioned why he should listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak, reported ANI. He was responding to Modi’s criticism of the Congress leader that he does not sit in the Parliament to listen to the government’s response on matters of national importance.
In an interview on Wednesday, Modi had made the comment when asked about Gandhi’s allegations that the central government has not clarified its stance on matters like unemployment and the India-China border dispute.
At Thursday’s election rally, Gandhi said: “Why should I listen to Narendra Modi?”
The Congress leader asked those present at the rally if they understood what Modi meant when he said that Gandhi does not listen.
“This means that ED [Enforcement Directorate] and CBI’s [Central Bureau of Investigation] pressure does not work on Rahul,” Gandhi explained. “No matte how much pressure I [Modi] put on him [Gandhi], he will not back down.”
#WATCH In an interview y'day, Modi Ji said, "Rahul doesn't listen". Did you understand what he meant? It meant that ED, CBI pressure doesn't work on Rahul, & he does not back down. Why should I listen to him?, says Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at a public rally in Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/eEbWyq2bQx
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) February 10, 2022
Gandhi accused the prime minister of destroying small businesses, farmers and labourers, by implementing demonetisation in 2016 and a faulty form of the Goods and Services Tax.
“Narendra Modi blames us for arranging for buses for migrants [during the coronavirus lockdown],” he claimed. “That was not our job. We were not in the power. Narendra Modi ji does not do his own work and then blames us. You could not prove employment to people. In fact, you rendered people jobless.”
On February 3, Gandhi had criticised the government for not clarifying its stance on the India-China dispute and unemployment during his speech in the Lok Sabha. On Tuesday, the Congress leader had said that in his reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in Parliament, the prime minister did not respond to any of the questions either.
However, Modi said that he had replied with facts on every subject of importance, while on some other matters, the external affairs and defence ministries had provided detailed replies in Parliament. He claimed that Gandhi was not present in the House when these replies were given.