The continuous jibe by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by terming him "shezada" (prince) reached a new zenith on Saturday with the latter's sibling and a general secretary in the grand old party, Priyanka Gandhi, calling the PM as "Shehanshah" (monarch). At the LokS Sabha poll rallies in Bihar and Jharkhand, Modi also used the term shehzada along with Rahul for the RJD leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav.
"There is a shehzada in Delhi (Rahul) and one in Patna (Tejashwi), both of whom think of the country as their fiefdom (jaagir)."
While addressing a rally in Gujarat, Priyanka called Modi a "Shahanshaah" who lives in a palace but is cut off from the public. It was her first response to the PM's 'shehzada' jibe for her brother Rahul.
Asserting that India wants a strong leader at the helm to ensure security, Modi said his Government's surgical and air strikes had shaken Pakistan, and the neighbouring country's leaders are now praying that the Congress "shehzada" becomes India's Prime Minister.
"The new India knows how to enter enemy territory and strike... Shaken by the surgical and air strikes, leaders in Pakistan are now praying that the Congress 'shehzada' becomes Prime Minister of India... But, our strong nation wants a strong Government and leader," Modi said at the rally to campaign for BJP candidate from Palamu,
V D Ram.
While addressing a rally at Lakhani in Gujarat's Banaskantha Lok Sabha constituency to canvass for her party candidate Geniben Thakor, Priyanka accused Modi of using the people of Gujarat for power and then forgetting them.
"He calls my brother 'shehzada'. I would like to tell him that this shehzada walked for 4,000 kilometres from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to listen to your (people's) problems, met my brothers and sisters, farmers and labourers and asked how we can resolve their problems," she said.
On the other hand is your 'shahanshah', Narendra Modiji. He lives in a palace. Have you ever seen him on TV? Clean clothes with not a single speck of dust, not a single stray hair strand. How will he ever understand your hard work, your farming? How will he understand your problems, that you are overburdened with inflation?" she said.
The Prime Minister at his rallies during the day said 25 crore people came out of poverty in the last 10 years of the NDA Government. "Congress never bothered for the welfare of people. The party's 'shehzada' was born with a silver spoon, and poses for the camera when he visits the house of the poor. But, it is my commitment to transform India.
"It is because of this appeasement politics that the father of Bihar's 'shehzada' (allusion to Tejashwi) had tried to save those who were responsible for the Godhra train burning incident", said Modi, adding "after all, it was the rule of Sonia madam", referring to the UPA chairperson who was also the president of the ruling Congress.
