Rahul mocks Modi on China visit, asks where his ‘56-inch’ chest has gone

While campaigning in Karnataka, Rahul said Modi would keep quite on the Doklam issue during his meet with Xi, and also slammed the PM over corruption and women’s safety.

Taking a swipe at Narendra Modi over his China visit, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Friday that the Prime Minister would remain silent on the Doklam issue during his talks with President Xi Jinping, and wondered where his ‘56 inch chest’ has gone.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi offers prayers at Manjunatheshwara temple during his visit to Karnataka ahead of assembly elections in the state.(PTI)

He also slammed Modi over his “silence” on alleged corruption by BJP leaders, including its chief Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah and for declaring BS Yeddyurappa, who had “gone to jail” as its chief ministerial candidate.

“I have heard that he (Modi) is visiting China. You just see, take it in writing from me. China’s army is sitting in Doklam and he will not utter a word on Doklam in China, you just watch.”

“He (Modi) won’t utter a word, this is his 56-inch chest. Only hollow words, false promises,” Gandhi, who is on a two-day election campaign tour of Karnataka, told a public rally at Bantwal.

The Congress president spoke of how Modi had hosted Xi in his home state Gujarat and Chinese troops made an incursion into Indian territory.

“In Gujarat, on the banks of a river, Narendra Modi sits on a swing with the Chinese president. Chinese president goes back home and puts Chinese army in Doklam. I don’t know where his (Modi’s) 56-inch chest had gone, Narendra Modi did not utter a word,” he said.

Gandhi also said, “Modi ji folds his hands in front of (12th century social reformer) Basavanna’s statue, garlands it, and then gives eight tickets to Reddy brothers.”

“He says he stands against corruption... but then he stands with Yeddyurappa (the BJP’s chief ministerial nominee), who has spent time in jail, on one side, and four MLAs who have savoured jail food on the other,” he added.

Taking a jibe at the Prime Minister over BJP allotting party tickets to the Reddy brothers and their supporters, he said, “Modi ji likes changing names. Earlier it was Planning Commission. He changed it to NITI Ayog. Now he has changed the CBI’s name to Central Bureau of Illegal mining.”

The influential Reddy brothers of Bellary were accused of involvement in illegal iron ore mining in several states, and two of them have been fielded by the BJP in the polls.