'Why Should I Listen To Him?': Rahul, Oppn Leaders Hit Back at Modi's Interview
Narendra Modi's latest interview to ANI led to a flurry of critical remarks from the Opposition. leaders,
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's latest interview to ANI ahead of UP polls on Tuesday, 9 February, lead to a flurry of critical remarks from Opposition leaders.
Rahul Gandhi, in a rally he addressed in Uttrakhand on Thursday afternoon, 10 February, pointed how Modi's remark during the interview, "Rahul doesn't listen?" referred to him not backing down to the pressures of CBI and ED.
Omar Abdullah, the vice-president of the Jammu Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) questioned if the "PM would be doing an interview like this before every phase of polling in UP?"
Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi tweeted how the interview was "more jugglery, less justice to real issues". "Not an interview, but a political speech by the PM. Could have done better!" the tweet further read.
Dr Shama Mohamed, a national spokesperson of the Congress, exclaimed if "the interview which is airing on all channels doesn't violate the Model Code of Conduct!"
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, meanwhile, hit back at the PM for his comments on dynastic politics during the interview and said, "I want to say that only those who have families can understand the pain of a family, but not those who do not have a family."
"BJP should observe two minutes of silence for their last manifesto as they could not fulfil the promises made five years ago," ANI quoted the leader as saying.
SP leader Vandana Singh, too, said that the PM's interview was a result of BJP's apprehensions ahead of the first phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh.
Janta Dal United (JDU) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha, on the other hand, thanked Modi for calling Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar a true socialist as opposed to the Samajwadi Party.
Modi in his interview to ANI had stated that Bharatiya Janta Party will return to power in Uttar Pradesh and other states on the basis of the work it had done, and that a "pro-incumbency" wave will swing the elections in its favour.
Yogi Boats of BJP in Interview; Invites Censure
Meanwhile, Yogi Adiyanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, was also seen giving interviews to media houses in the week preceding the first phase of polling, claiming a BJP tally of more than 300 seats in the UP elections.
In his interview with News18, the leader had said, "Many people from other parties have also joined the BJP. People joining BJP are not lured by tickets. Those leaving BJP are siding with ‘Parivarwaad’."
On Thursday, the SP chief reacted to BJP's claims of a double-engine government and Yogi's quips on opposition parties and stated,"Did corruption end during the Yogi government? Truth is double engine government means double corruption."
(With inputs from ANI.)
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