Narendra Modi hits back at Manmohan Singh, says Rahul Gandhi insulted PM

Guna/Chhattarpur (MP): Dismissing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's charge that BJP has brought down the level of political discourse, Narendra Modi on Monday said it was Rahul Gandhi who insulted PM by terming as 'nonsense' the Cabinet-cleared Ordinance on convicted legislators.

"The dignity of PM's post was shattered. Who did it? Who has insulted the entire Cabinet? Who has humiliated the entire Parliament? The party of which you are so proud of and the party which has made you occupy the PM's Chair, that party's vice-president had the audacity of calling your decision nonsense," Modi said at election rallies.

He was referring to the Ordinance, now revoked, which was cleared by the Union Cabinet with an intention to nullify a Supreme Court order prescribing immediate disqualification of an MLA or MP if convicted in a court of law.

Gandhi had termed the ordinance "complete nonsense", saying it should be "torn up and thrown away".

"No BJP member has committed the sin or caused the humiliation that he (Gandhi) did by tearing up the paper of a decision which was taken democratically.Those with whose blessing you are occupying the (PM's) chair have conspired to show you down in front of billions of people," Modi said.

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Modi, the BJP prime ministerial candidate, said Gandhi's comments were like a "slap on the (PM's) face" while he had been on a US visit.

"Tell us Prime Minister, have we done this? If you cannot say anything against them, then don't, but do not blame us for this," Modi said. Modi further alleged that "Shahzade" (Gandhi) had lowered the dignity of democratic institutions.

He assured the people that BJP will guard their interest and not allow the "corrupt" Congress to take away their hard earned money.

"We are your chowkidars (guards). We will not let the Congress 'hand' take away the rightful money of the poor. I promise I would not let that happen," Modi said.

"Recently, he (Gandhi) said BJP is chor (thief)... The country knows that when the last Parliament session was on, there were slogans of "chor, chor"... You also asked if the opposition in any other country calls its PM chor," Modi said.

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Gandhi had last week dubbed BJP a "party of thieves" during an election rally in Chhattisgarh and accused it of "looting natural resources" in that state.

"Is this kind of behaviour right? If you say we are thieves, then we accept this charge... We have committed theft. We have stolen Congress's sleep," Modi said sarcastically.

Modi said that if Singh, Gandhi and Congress President Sonia Gandhi wanted to fight BJP, they should do so on developmental issues. He warned Congress against using government power and false propaganda in any such contest, saying it cannot suppress BJP with those tactics.

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Modi also targeted Congress general secretary and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, saying he "spoke too much". "He (Digvijay) has ruled this state for a long time. He is into a new industry these days — he is the chairman of the Lie Manufacturing Factory. Even when he is caught (lying), he does not have any shame," Modi said.

Lauding the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government for its achievements in the field of agriculture and tourism, he said this was done despite a hostile Centre which was not cooperating with the state in its developmental endeavours.

Modi charged that Congress-led Centre has failed to check price rise and create employment.

"In the last 50 years, Congress has believed in throwing enticements to win votes. Congress has been dividing the country. It is in their blood. They learnt it from the English. They have ruled for so many years by dividing people. This divisive politics will have to go. We will have to usher in politics of bringing people together," Modi said.

He claimed there is no anti-incumbency in BJP-ruled states. "Where BJP has worked all parameters have changed. It is pro-incumbency which is seen in these polls," he said.