"PM means Panauti Modi," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stated on Tuesday during an election rally in Rajasthan, implying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi brings ill luck, news agency PTI reported. Gandhi used the word linked with bad luck in reference to India's loss in the cricket world cup final against Australia. Since the defeat in the match, which Prime Minister Modi attended at the Ahmedabad stadium named after him, the word 'panauti' has been trending on social media. Gandhi claimed Modi diverts people's attention while Adani, the entrepreneur, takes their money.
He claimed Modi "comes on TV and says 'Hindu-Muslim,' and occasionally attends a cricket match." It's a different matter that the match was lost. Panauti." "PM means Panauti Modi," Gandhi went on to say.
Addressing a rally in Baytoo, Balotra, ahead of the November 25 assembly elections, the Congress leader further said Modi waived major manufacturers' loans and offered them all benefits.
Gandhi had earlier addressed another electoral rally in Udaipur's Vallabhnagar.
Rahul Must Apologise For 'Panauti PM' Remark: BJP
Soon after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi indirectly blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for India's World Cup loss to Australia, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha MP Ravi Shankar Prasad questioned the use of such a word for the Prime Minister and asked Wayanad MP to apologise, news agency ANI reported.
Slamming Rahul Gandhi for his remark against PM Modi, Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi stated: "If Rahul Gandhi has used a word like 'panauti', then it reflects what kind of person he is. Using such words for PM, who is working continuously for the country, is not acceptable and the entire country is watching this."
"What happened to you, Rahul Gandhi? You are using such words for the Prime Minister of the country. Our Prime Minister met the players and motivated them. Winning or losing is part of the game. Rahul Gandhi needs to apologise," Prasad was quoted by ANI in its report.
Prasad advised Rahul Gandhi to learn from history, saying, "You need to learn from the past. Your mother (Sonia Gandhi) used the word 'Maut ka saudagar' (dealer of deaths) for Narendra Modi and see where is the Congress now."
(With Inputs From Agencies)