Congress trashes Modi's claim of Sonia being unconstitutional head of government

New Delhi: "At least once in a while Prime Minister Narendra Modi should speak truth," Congress said on Wednesday, dismissing his suggestion that Sonia Gandhi had been an "unconstitutional" authority exercising "real" power over the PMO during the UPA rule.

Party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed's sharp reaction came after the Prime Minister hit back at the Congress president for her accusations that NDA dispensation was showing "obstinate arrogance" in Parliament and that it was a government by "one person".

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding a responsible position. At least once in a while he should speak truth," Ahmed said, terming as "totally wrong" the impression sought to be created by him that Gandhi was interfering in the day-to-day affairs of the UPA government.

Noting that it was Gandhi who had brought the Congress to power, he said it was natural for the party to tell the government about which policies and principles to follow and ask it to implement them. He recalled that the Congress under Gandhi had asked the government to go for the Right to Information Act, MGNREGA as also loan waiver for farmers.

Read: Narendra Modi attacks Congress, says Sonia Gandhi 'unconstitutional authority’ during UPA

Asked by PTI in an interview about criticism that under him all powers were concentrated in the PMO, Modi had responded, "Your question is loaded. It would have been better if this question had been asked when an unconstitutional authority was sitting above the constitutional authority and exercising power over the PMO". He was apparently referring to the Congress president.

Ahmed also made light of PM's remarks that the Congress had not been able to "digest" its crushing defeat in Lok Sabha polls even after one year and therefore Rahul Gandhi was dubbing his government as "suit-boot ki sarkar".

"I do not know whether losing elections affects digestion. If that is the case, then the BJP should be really experienced about the matter since the days of the erstwhile

Jansangh," he said taking a dig at the saffron party and its erstwhile avatar over losing several elections.