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'Election me doobne ki...': PM mocks Rahul Gandhi's fish pond dive in Bihar
Without naming the Congress leader, PM Modi said some "bade bade log" are now coming into Bihar and diving for fish.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hit out at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, mocking his dive into a pond to catch fish a few days back. Addressing a public rally in Sitamarhi ahead of the second phase of assembly elections in Bihar, PM Modi took a veiled jab at Rahul Gandhi.
Without naming the Congress leader, PM Modi said some "bade bade log" are now coming into the state and diving for fish. "Bade bade log bhi yahan ki macchli dekhne aa rahe hain. Paani mein dubki laga rahe hain... Bihar ke election mein doobne ki practice kar rahe hain (Even big names are coming here to see the fish. They’re taking a dip in the water… practicing for drowning in the Bihar elections)," PM Modi said.
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Rahul Gandhi jumped into a muddy pond in Bihar's Begusarai earlier this week as he interacted with the fishermen community in the area. After addressing a rally in the district, Rahul Gandhi headed towards a nearby fishing pond.
A video showed him taking a boat to the middle of the pond and then diving into it. Former state minister Mukesh Sahni also accompanied the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, and even cast a net, impressing Gandhi with his prowess.
Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar was also among those present, and several fishermen accompanied Rahul Gandhi into the chest-deep waters.
What PM Modi said in Sitamarhi
Not only did PM Modi launch a veiled attack on Rahul Gandhi, he also trained guns at the RJD-helmed Opposition in Bihar. PM Modi alleged that if voted to power, the Opposition would "put 'katta' to people's heads and order them to hold their hands up".
“I shudder to hear that the RJD, in its campaign, is getting children to say that upon growing up, they wish to become 'rangdaar' (street bully). Bihar definitely does not want a government which has 'katta', 'kushasan' (misgovernance), 'kroorta' (cruelty) and corruption to offer”, Modi said.
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The PM, who has addressed over a dozen rallies since elections were announced in the state, said, “Wherever I go, I find the prevailing sentiment is - we do not want a 'katta sarkar', we want an NDA sarkar again”.
His remarks come ahead of the second phase of elections in Bihar, scheduled for November 11. Around 64.69 per cent voter turnout was seen during the first phase on November 6, data the Opposition is using to target the ruling NDA. Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor said that a rise in voter turnout indicates that people are in favour of a regime change in Bihar.
