PM Modi questions Rahul Gandhi's 'overnight silence' on Ambani-Adani

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has questioned Rahul's sudden silence on Ambani-Adani

In a fresh attack on Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wondered why the Congress leader has stopped raking up the "Ambani-Adani" issue in his speeches.

Addressing an election rally in Vemulawada in Telangana on Wednesday, the Prime Minister suggested that Rahul's overnight silence on industrialists, whom he had criticised for five years, seems "suspicious".

"Ever since elections have been announced, these people (Congress) have stopped abusing Ambani-Adani. I want to ask from Telangana soil, let the Shehzada announce how much has been lifted from Ambani-Adani. Has tempo loads of notes (currency) reached the Congress? What deal has been arrived at that abusing Ambani-Adani has stopped overnight," he asked.

The Prime Minister's offensive assumes significance since Congress has been accusing the Modi-led government of favouring top businessmen.

Gandhi often used the names of the industrialists to attack the Modi government, which he described as a "suit-boot ki sarkar".

During a rally in Chhattisgarh on April 13, Rahul alleged that PM Modi helped only 22 people in India who have the same amount of money, as much as 70 crore people.

The BJP has often dismissed Rahul's attack, saying that it was Congress that used to favour industrialists when it was in power.

In April last year, Nationalist Congress Party founder Sharad Pawar, whose party is a Congress ally in Maharashtra, said that attacking industrialists like Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani is "not right".

"Nowadays, names of Ambani-Adani are being taken (to criticise the government), but we need to think about their contribution to the country. I think other issues like unemployment, price rise, and farmers issues are more important," he had said in April.

(With inputs from agencies)