Congress counters Narendra Modi's 'hawalabaaz' jibe, says people will judge the ‘dagabaaz’

New Delhi: Angry at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attack on Sonia Gandhi, Congress shot back, saying people will judge the "asli dagabaaz" who did not keep the promises he made to the people.

"The country will judge who is "hawabaaz" (one who does empty talk) and "dagabaaz" (a betrayer)," Congress chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala told reporters on Thursday.

Surjewala said Modi had promised before the Lok Sabha polls that the government will deposit Rs 15 lakh in every citizen's bank account from the black money brought back from foreign tax havens, an assertion that was later termed as mere "jumla" (platitude) by his party president.

Besides, Modi had assured farmers they would get 50 per cent profit over the cost of their produce, but their plight only worsened and some of them were forced to commit suicide, he said.

"So it is for the people to judge who is 'asli dagabaaz' (real betrayer)," he said.

Targeting the Prime Minister on One Rank, One Pension (OROP) for ex-servicemen, he said, while the war veterans have been agitating for the past 90 days, the government did not notify its watered down scheme before the model code of conduct kicked in with the announcement of Bihar polls.

Surjewala said people had also understood by now that the slogans of "good governance" and "ease of doing business" were "hawabaazi" as the state of the economy was deteriorating with each passing day.

The Congress spokesman advised Modi not to stoop low while targeting his detractors as by doing that he would lower himself in the eyes of the people.

The Congress' counteroffensive came soon after the Prime Minister hit back at Sonia Gandhi over her "hawabaaz" barb against him, asserting the "scamsters are unnerved" due to the tough stance of the government on black money and were putting "roadblocks" in its pursuit of the reforms agenda.

Attacking the Congress, Modi said, the "hawalabaaz" (scamsters) were seeking answers from him even as his government was going about plugging leakages in schemes and enriching the nation's coffers.