‘Modi Insulted My Family but I Won’t Insult His’: Rahul Gandhi

“Clouds and mangoes are being talked about, but nothing is being said on the issues which matter,” Gandhi said.

File photo of Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

(Photo courtesy: PTI)

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, 14 May, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi insulted his father and grandmother during the ongoing election campaign but he will never speak ill of the latter's parents.

Addressing a rally ahead of the fourth and last phase of Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi also said Modi should stop talking about "clouds and mangoes" and tell people about issues which matter.

He the Congress would defeat Modi "with love".

"Modi ji talks with hatred. He insults my father, grandmother, great grandfather. But I will never in my life speak about his family, his mother and father. I will die, but will never insult his mother and father.

“This is because I am not a RSS or BJP man, but belong to the Congress. I will return him love if hatred is thrown at me...We will defeat Modi ji with love, hugging you,” he said.

The Congress president was apparently referring to the prime minister's statements made in two interviews: to a news channel and another to Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar.

"Modi ji talks with hatred...he insulted my father, grandmother and great grandfather...I will die, but not insult Modi ji's mother and father," he said.

Gandhi said Modi talked about cloud cover "helping" IAF planes evade Pakistani radars during the Balakot air strikes and about climbing trees and eating mangoes.

"Clouds and mangoes are being talked about, but nothing is being said on the issues which matter," he said.

Gandhi targeted Modi on the Rafale deal, adding the "chowkidar" committed theft in it and hence is unable to speak about corruption. "Modi ji will not be able to show his face to India if he debates the issue with me," he added.

Gandhi called MP Chief Minister Kamal Nath to read out the name of two family members of ex-CM and BJP vice-president Shivraj Singh Chouhan whose agriculture loans were waived.

"We waived loans of even family members of Shivraj ji and he lying that farmers' loans were not waived. We waived loans of thousands of BJP workers with love. They all are ours, we don't hate them," Gandhi said.