Rahul Gandhi(L) and PM Narendra Modi (Right).
Credit: PTI Photos
Jaipur: After the 'panauti' jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (November 22) compared PM Modi with a pickpocket, saying "they come in groups". He was addressing a rally at Rajakheda in Rajasthan’s Dholpur district.
Speaking at an election rally, Rahul said, “Pickpockets always come in groups of three. He never comes alone. The first person tries to distract you by saying something unconventional. Then comes the second person, his colleague, who picks the pocket and the third person keeps a watch on the victim. He particularly monitors the victim to see if he is resisting. If he does resist, then the third person attacks and threatens the victim. This is the way pickpockets operate. The one who diverts attention is Narendra Modi, the one who is pickpocketing is Adani and the person who threatens is Amit Shah.”
Rahul has time and again accused Modi of working for businessman Gautam Adani and making "two Hindustans", one for Adani and one for the poor.
Rahul Gandhi had in March this year been disqualified as a member of Lok Sabha in a 2019 defamation case. In an election campaign rally then, Rahul had asked, “Why all thieves have Modi as (their) common surname.” BJP had reacted strongly saying the remark was an insult to all those people whose surname was Modi and all those associated with this caste.
His disqualification was, however, revoked and he was reinstated as Wayanad MP after the Supreme Court gave him relief in August this year.
The BJP has reacted to Rahul’s 'panauti' remark and called him “mand buddhi" (dim-witted) for making such a statement against "the world's most popular leader".
Madhya Pradesh BJP chief V D Sharma said that Rahul had insulted 130 crore people of the state by using the word 'panauti' against Modi.