Janjivan Bureau
New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of mocking the tragedy of Uttarakhand earthquake and insulting the freedom struggle, but not answering opposition’s questions on demonetisation.
The Congress vice president also took a dig at Modi over his surgery remarks on economy, saying “a quack endangers life”.
“The Prime Minister mocks the tragedy of Uttarakhand and insults the freedom struggle but has no answers to the opposition’s questions,” he tweeted.
Gandhi said this after the Prime Minister took a jibe at him in Parliament, saying “the earthquake has finally occurred” while referring to Monday night’s tremors in Uttarakhand.
The Congress vice president had in December last said he possessed certain material against the Prime Minister, and if he spoke in Parliament, there would be an “earthquake”.
“The earthquake finally occurred. I was wondering how it happened. I had heard of the threat long back,” Modi said in the Lok Sabha, in an apparent reference to Rahul’s comments.
Gandhi’s quackery endangers life remarks came after the Prime Minister, while defending demonetisation in his speech in the Lok Sabha said, “When can you have an operation? When the body is healthy. The economy was doing well and thus our decision was taken at the right time.”
The Prime Minister was replying to the debate on Motion of Thanks to President’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament at the beginning of the budget session.
Congress also attacked the Prime Minister for his speech, accusing him of hurting the dignity of Uttarakhand by mocking the tragedy.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Uttarakhand. When PM’s tone took a tone of humour and mockery on the earthquake, many MPs present felt that PM has hurt the dignity of Uttarakhand.
“Many of those still recovering from the trauma of the previous earthquake would have felt humiliated after listening to the Prime Minister,” party spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi told journalists at the AICC briefing.
Gandhi had earlier posed several questions to the Prime Minister about the fallout of demonetisation, regarding the amount of black money recovered after the exercise, the alleged economic loss to the nation, the number of jobs lost, people who died standing in queues at banks and ATMs and whether compensation was paid to them.
He had also asked who the Prime Minister consulted on demonetisation and why were experts, economists and RBI not taken into confidence.
Gandhi had also asked as to who all deposited more than Rs 25 lakh in bank accounts in 6 months preceding November 8 when the note ban was announced.
Modi had attacked Congress for “claiming entire credit” for the country’s independence and objected to certain comments made by Congress’ leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge yesterday regarding sacrifices made for attaining freedom.
“Hum kutton ki paramapara se pale bhade nahi hain (we have not grown in a culture of dogs),” he said.
Modi said even before Congress party was born, lakhs of countrymen had made sacrifice for independence and referred to the 1857 sepoy revolt.
“Everybody gave their lives, unitedly, without any communal colour to it,” he said.
