NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took a sharp dig at the Congress and the Gandhi family during his speech in the Rajya Sabha, accusing them of being “habitual thieves” and alleging that they had even “stolen” Mahatma Gandhi’s surname.”For some people, stealing is a family profession. What’s shocking is that those habitual thieves have also stolen surname of a Gujarati, Mahatma Gandhi,” PM Modi said amid sloganeering and a walkout by the opposition members. Further taking a “start up” dig at the Congress, and leader of opposition Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, the prime minister alleged that the party never encouraged a startup culture and even mocked its leadership. “Congress never promoted startup culture… They cannot even lift the startup of their own house,” he said, in an apparent reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.The prime minister also targeted Rahul over his remarks made in the House a day earlier, referring to him as the Congress “Yuvraj”. “What happened yesterday — the ‘Yuvraj’ of Congress who has ‘shaatir dimag’, called an MP of this House ‘traitor’. His arrogance is at its peak,” PM Modi said. He alleged that the comment was selectively directed at a Sikh MP. “He did not call anyone else who has left the Congress a traitor. But he called the MP a traitor, because he is a Sikh. This was an insult to the Sikhs, an insult to the Gurus. This was an expression of the hatred for Sikhs that is filled in the Congress,” the prime minister said.”He is a member of a family who sacrificed themselves for the country. Just because he changed his political ideology, he became a traitor? This is not a small word. How can the country tolerate a citizen being called a traitor?” he added. Calling the episode “highly unfortunate”, the prime minister added, “Such people will sink Congress.”Also read: ‘I eat 2kg of gaalis daily’: In light moment during RS speech, PM Modi reveals ‘health secret’
