UTTAR PRADESH

I'm happy Rahul Gandhi learning to speak: Modi

PTI12_22_2016_000041B Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the gathering at Benaras Hindu University in Varanasi | PTI

A day after Rahul Gandhi levelled sensational corruption charges against Narendra Modi, the prime minister on Thursday took a sarcastic jibe at the Congress leader saying that he was happy that Rahul was learning to speak.

Addressing a public meeting at Benaras Hindu University (BHU) campus in Varanasi, the prime minister said: "There is a youth leader in the Congress who has just learnt to speak. I am glad that he (Gandhi) has started to speak now."

"In 2009, it was very difficult to find out what was inside this packet. Good he has started speaking. And there was no possibility of any earthquake."

The prime minister's reaction came after Rahul claimed on Wednesday that Modi had received crores of rupees as bribe from various corporate houses including Sahara group and Birla during his stint as Gujarat chief minister.

Though the Congress and a few of its allies came out in support of Rahul, the Bharatiya Janata Party hit out at Rahul accusing him of trying to divert attention from the ongoing AgustaWestland chopper scam probe. The BJP called him a “non-serious, part-time politician.”

While Rahul took on Modi on the prime minister's home state of Gujarat, the latter chose his home constituency to respond to the Congress leader. This was Modi's first visit to Varanasi after his government decided to scrap high value currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 on November 8, leading the country into a bitter cash crunch.

The prime minister accused the opposition parties of supporting the corrupt and claimed that the people of India had stood by the currency ban decision. “I never though that some political leaders would support the corrupt,” he said.

The ruckus by opposition in Parliament over note ban was like the cover fire that Pakistan gives to terrorists, said Modi.

Taking a dig at former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Modi said: "When I spoke about cashless economy, he said how can this technology function where 50 per cent people are poor.

"Now, tell me whether he is giving his own report card or mine? Whose legacy am I bearing now?"

Earlier, the prime minister laid the foundation stone of Mahamana Pt Madan Mohan Malaviya Cancer Centre on the BHU campus. Pointing out the increasing role of technology in medical science, Modi said providing quality and affordable healthcare to the people of India was the need of the hour. "We have a lot of  human resource capability in India," he added.

Modi is on a day-long trip to Varanasi where he is to lay foundation stones of several projects and address Bharatiya Janata Party activists. 

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