Congress slams Narendra Modi's claims about childhood poverty, his mother

New Delhi: In a no-holds-barred counter-attack, Congress on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs "very serious counselling" and accusing him of dragging the political narrative to the "gutter level" in his U S tour in which he targeted the party on corruption and traded barbs at Robert Vadra.

Hitting back hard, Congress senior spokesman Anand Sharma also sought an independent inquiry into organisation of public events for the prime minister during his foreign tours and the source "millions of dollars" required for hosting them.

Referring to the Prime Minister getting emotional and breaking down while recalling events about his mother, he said "true to his characteristic style, the prime minister once again engaged in theatrics, emotion and drama, making boastful claims".

Sharma raising questions about Modi's statements that he sold tea as a child and that his mother became an housemaid to look after him. These claims about himself were "not correct", he said, adding in his childhood Modi used to manage the counter in his uncle's canteen.

Sharma said that Modi considered himself a powerful leader but wondered why he did not ensure that his mother stayed with him.

"Is it not the duty of a son to look after the well-being of his mother," he said recalling that Modi was chief minister of Gujarat for 12 years and said then and even now he has not brought her to his home.

He did not also bring her to his swearing-in ceremony as prime minister in New Delhi last year, Sharma added. "The Prime Minister is misusing his official visits abroad and we demand an independent inquiry (into the rallies)...with 100s of millions of dollars spent in their organisation with activists of the RSS and others going months ahead for preparations", he remarked.

On the issue of corruption, Sharma accused the Prime Minister of being hypocritical and practising double standards by making allegations against opponents. He said that the Prime Minister is not acting against his own ministers and Chief Ministers in Lalitgate controversy and mining scam as also Vyapam issue. "We condemn these double standards".

The Prime Minister, in a veiled attack on UPA regime on corruption and taking a swipe at the Congress President's son-in-law Robert Vadra, had said at the reception by the Indian community that there were allegations of politicians and their families, including son-in-law, making crores of rupees while his government has no graft charge.

"The Prime Minister has has dragged the political narrative to the gutter level.. His mindset is I, me myself... is a matter of national concern... his unhealthy mindset... it is disturbing and he needs very serious counselling", Sharma said attacking the several claims made by Modi during his Silicon Valley visit.

Besides, Sharma said that economy has suffered under Modi with his tenure witnessing job losses, falling exports, lowering of credit off take. Besides, he said that there was no capacity addition, capital formation has gone in the negative, while the rupee is falling.

The former commerce minister questioned the prime minister's statement that he wanted to convert the USD eight trillion into a USD 20 trillion saying that the size of the Indian economy now was only USD 2.5 trillion. Even the Chinese economy was not USD eight trillion, he said.

He said that he had spoken of BJP spending Rs 15,000 crores on campaigning in the Lok Sabha polls, but now an international money watch group has estimated that the party must have spent six to eight billion dollars. It reflects how big the BJP's war chest would be for Bihar Assembly polls.