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Rahul Gandhi's retort to PM Modi's Adani-Ambani jibe: 'You took their names first time in public'
Earlier today, PM Modi said that he wonders why Rahul Gandhi has stopped taking the names of Adani and Ambani since the declaration of the Lok Sabha elections.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ‘Adani-Ambani’ jibe.
In a video message, Gandhi claimed that this was the first instance when the prime minister took the name of industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani publicly. Follow full coverage of the Lok Sabha election here.
Earlier today, Modi attacked Gandhi over his ‘crony capitalism’ charge at his government, saying that he wondered why Rahul Gandhi stopped taking the names of Adani and Ambani since the declaration of the Lok Sabha elections.
He also questioned if "tempo loads of notes (money)" have reached the Congress.
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Hours later, Gandi challenged the prime minister to launch a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) against the industrialists.
“Normally, you (Modi) take the name of Ambani-Adani behind closed doors. You took their names in public for the first time,” Gandhi said. "You also know that Adani-Ambani send money in tempo? Is this your personal experience? Do one thing: send CBI and ED to them. Get a thorough investigation done, don't panic.”
He added: “The amount of money that PM Modi has given to them, we will give the same to the poor in India. We will make many 'lakhpatis' with the 'Mahalakshmi Yojna' and 'Pehli Naukri Yojana'”
Earlier today, Congress party's national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi had also reacted to PM Modi's remark, saying that her brother speaks about them daily.
In an election rally in Rae Bareli, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the Modi government of waiving loans worth ₹16 lakh crore for billionaires when farmers in Uttar Pradesh were dying due to suicide.
What PM Modi said
"Ever since elections have been announced, these people (Congress) have stopped abusing Ambani-Adani. I want to ask from Telangana soil, let the Shehzada announce, how much has been lifted from Ambani-Adani. Has tempo loads of notes (currency) reached the Congress? What deal has been arrived at, that abusing Ambani-Adani has stopped overnight?" PM Modi asked while addressing a poll rally in Telangana earlier today.
The PM further added: “Certainly something is fishy. For five years, (they) abused Adani-Ambani and it stopped overnight. It means you have received some tempo loads of 'chori ka maal' (loot). You have to answer the nation.”
