Rahul Gandhi has 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.
Within hours of Rahul’s attack against Modi, social media users took to Twitter to launch a new hashtag #ModiInsultsDevBhoomi.
Uttarakhand, which is popularly referred as Dev Bhoomi because of several Hindu Holy places being there, goes to polls on 15 February. The BJP is desperately trying to dislodge the Congress-led government in the hilly state. However, Modi’s perceived insensitive remarks may not go down well with the voters here.
Here are some of the reactions from Twitter:
What can u expect from those who have the mindset & policy of a Devil? Using tragedies for politics normal for Modi ji #ModiInsultsDevBhoomi
— Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) February 8, 2017
#ModiInsultsDevBhoomi
Modi has no work and gives useless statements in Parliament. He also wastes our time.— Radha Charan Das (@radhacharandas) February 8, 2017
Such cheapness, PM of India, but what can u expect from such an uncouth person, dresses gentleman like but inwards #ModiInsultsDevBhoomi pic.twitter.com/9jcY0ARUuM
— KilaFateh #5YearsSuffering (@KilaFateh) February 8, 2017
UK stll recovring frm d dvastation &fearful memory f 2013 flood .PM must apologse4 his nasty joke #ModiInsultsDevBhoomi @harishrawatcmuk pic.twitter.com/hq993HOPXp
— SIMA (@seemaadhikari) February 8, 2017
When World Cries ..He Laughs ..
Sensation less Illiteracy Is The Main Reason ..#ModiInsultsDevbhoomi pic.twitter.com/pqTLYlrJGn
— Niraj Bhatia (@bhatia_niraj23) February 8, 2017
Narendra Modi should be ashmed of himself for making fun of the earthquake that hit Uttarakhand. #ModiInsultsDevBhoomi
— Ashish Vivek Merukar (@AMerukar) February 8, 2017
#ModiInsultsDevBhoomi The Person who insulted National Anthem in Russia, insulting Dev Bhoomi is nothing for him. pic.twitter.com/6wxPoyEpCU
— Vaishali Singh (@vaishali_6) February 8, 2017
Sad indeed to be saddled with a nincompoop
Who mocks an earthquake in Uttarakhand#ModiInsultsDevBhoomi with his CHEAP humour@rkhuria pic.twitter.com/Asd4oAr0Og— Ann Nadar#WithRG (@Aneela_7) February 8, 2017
Unfortunately we have a PM who uses parliament to make use a tragedy to do political gimmicks #ModiInsultsDevBhoomi
— Maanmohan Singh Pahujaa (@msgpahujaa) February 8, 2017