New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed a rally in Gujarat's Surendranagar where he targetted the Congress party recalling "insults" hurled at him.
PM Modi said that while the Congress shies away to talk about development, the party's leaders have called him with derogatory terms several times. "They said 'Modi ko aukat dikha denge' (We will show him his place). They called me 'gandi naali ka keeda' (a sewer worm), 'neechi jaati ka' (a person from a so-called 'inferior' caste), they even called me 'maut ka saudagar' (merchant of death)," the Prime Minister remarked.
The former Gujarat chief minister then went on to call himself a 'sevak' (servant) who belongs to a humble family. "You belong to a dynastic family, while I am from a common background. I don't boast of any aukat. You need not try to show me anything," he further said.
"Come and talk about development, come and debate about making Gujarat a developed state," PM Modi added.
The Prime Minister also hit out at the Congress party's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' saying, "those who have been thrown out of power are taking out yatra to get back to power."
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The remarks come as the election campaigns in Gujarat intensify ahead of the two-phase election.
Both PM Modi and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will hold rallies in the poll-bound state today.
At 2 PM, Modi will address a public rally at Jambusar in Bharuch district while Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi will be at Panch Kakda village in Mahuva in Surat district.
Rahul Gandhi's rally was slated to take place around 1 PM. He last visited Gujarat on September 5 when he addressed a gathering of booth-level party workers in Ahmedabad.
Election to 182-member Gujarat Assembly will take place in two phases on December 1 and 5 and the votes will be counted on December 10 along with votes polled in Himachal Pradesh.