New Tehri (Uttarakhand): Amid opposition outcry over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "raincoat" barb at Manmohan Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah on Thursday reminded Rahul Gandhi of the term his mother used against Modi in the past.
Shah also said there was nothing wrong in the Prime Minister's remarks against his predecessor.
"Modiji said nothing wrong. The onus for scams worth Rs 12 lakh crore during UPA does rest on the Congress and the former PM," he said at an election rally in New Tehri.
Modi drew flak from the opposition on Wednesday when he said in reference to his predecessor in Parliament, "There were many scams around him, but his own image remained clean. Dr Sahab is the only person who knows the art of bathing in a bathroom with a raincoat on."
Shah went on to say that the Congress shouldn't have taken exception to this description of the former PM as it was "correct" and so far as dignity of language from public forums was concerned, Congress did not lag behind anyone.
He reminded Rahul Gandhi of the term his mother Sonia had used against Modi many years ago, the term used recently by the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and his own 'Khoon ki dalali' remark against the Prime Minister at the time of the surgical strikes.
The BJP president was apparently referring to the 'maut ka saudagar' (merchant of death) remark made by Sonia Gandhi against Narendra Modi in the past.
Shah also said that Rahul was the first to show disrespect to Manmohan Singh by publicly tearing to pieces an ordinance passed by him.
Rahul Gandhi had yesterday hit out at Modi for his raincoat jibe, saying the event was "saddening and shameful".
Attacking Rahul Gandhi for repeatedly demanding a report card of Modi government's performance, the BJP president said it was time for the Congress in Uttarakhand gives an account of what it had done in the past five years of its rule.
"The BJP's turn to give a report card on its performance will come in 2019. Don't you worry Rahul Baba, we will give it in good detail," he said.
The BJP leader said if Rahul Gandhi insists he can only say BJP gave a Prime Minister who speaks.
"We gave a Prime Minister to the country who speaks before whom there was one whose voice could be heard only by you and your mother," Shah said in reference to Rahul and Sonia Gandhi at the rally.
Referring to Congress and its vice president, Shah said those who had not given a report card on the sixty years of their rule were asking for Modi's report card.
He also patted the back of his party's government for implementing OROP, an issue hanging fire for 40 years, within two years of coming to power at the Centre.
