Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel, on Tuesday, took a strong exception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Moorkhon ke sardar' remark which was a veiled attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. PM Modi had questioned Rahul's understanding of India's achievements after the Wayanad MP, addressing a gathering in Madhya Pradesh, stressed how several commodities sold in India were mostly 'made in China.'
CM Bhupesh Baghel, when asked about the Prime Minister's statement, told news agency ANI, "The Prime Minister's ego has increased so much that now he is abusing the public."
In response to this, Assam CM and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma mocked equating Rahul Gandhi to the general public. "Once a person said Indira is India and India is Indira, that time has passed. If Bhupesh Baghel thinks that Rahul Gandhi is the public then that public will not be the public living in India, that public should be living on some other planet. No Indian public considers themself to be one with Rahul Gandhi," he told ANI.
He also expressed agreement with PM Modi over his 'Moorkhon ke sardar' barb on the Wayanad MP saying, "Yes he definitely is. There is nothing new in that. People all over India know what he is. You must have seen him in Parliament how he used to approach the Prime Minister...He keeps talking about 'Mohabbat' and 'Dukaan'. Can 'Mohabbat' and 'Dukaan' be together? 'Mohabbat' means true love and 'Dukaan' is for sale and purchase...So love can never have a shop. Someone gives a script to Rahul Gandhi and he just reads it. He is trying to show him as an angry young man.
"So that's why I think that what the Prime Minister has said, everyone in India knows it. This is what is in everyone's mind," the Assam Chief Minister added.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary attacked the Prime Minister saying "PM Modi is already aware of the results of the elections and this is the reason why the prime minister of the country is using such foul language and calling Rahul Gandhi a 'murkh'. Modi ji you are the country's prime minister. People are astonished to see that you have forgotten which words are worthy of your position."
During a public rally in Betul, PM Modi rebuked Rahul Gandhi's assertion that mobile phones in India are mostly made in China. Modi retorted, "In which world does the moorkhon ke sardar (leader of fools) live?"
He highlighted India's significant progress in exporting mobile phones worth Rs one lakh crore, accusing Congress leaders of suffering from a "mental disease" that blinds them to the country's accomplishments.
In a recent election rally, Rahul Gandhi remarked, "If you see behind a mobile phone, shirt, below your shoes, you can see that it is made in China. Have you ever seen 'Made in Madhya Pradesh' behind any camera or shirt? No, you haven't. This is what we want to do." He expressed a vision for Indian products to be recognised globally.
More On It: 'Moorkhon Ke Sardar': PM Modi Takes A Swipe At Rahul Gandhi Over 'Made In China' Remark — WATCH
CM Baghel, Priyanka Gandhi Lead Congress Roadshow In Raipur
Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and CM Bhupesh Baghel, conducted a roadshow in Raipur ahead of the assembly polls. In an exclusive interview with ANI, Baghel responded to PM Modi's criticisms, challenging him to conduct a caste census and accusing him of being the "biggest liar."
Baghel questioned Modi's sincerity and claimed that the Prime Minister's face would be associated with lies if one were to search for the "biggest liar." He also addressed the controversy surrounding the Mahadev App, alleging that the BJP had dealings with the app, leading to inaction. Chhattisgarh is voting in two phases, with the first phase of 20 seats concluded on November 7, and the remaining 70 seats scheduled for polling on November 17.