Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, addressing a Rajasthan election rally, attributed India's World Cup 2023 final loss to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence in the Narendra Modi stadium, calling him "Panauti".
During an election rally in Jalore, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, labelling him as a 'panauti'. Addressing the crowd, Gandhi referred to the recently concluded 2023 World Cup finals, expressing the belief that India would have won if not for the perceived 'bad luck' brought by PM Modi.
"Our boys would have won the World Cup, but panauti made them lose," Gandhi remarked. The Congress leader was addressing the rally in Rajasthan, a state set to go to polls on November 25, with results expected on December 3.
Gandhi continued, "PM means Panauti Modi," suggesting that the Prime Minister brings bad luck. The term 'panauti' gained traction on social media following India's defeat in the World Cup final, an event attended by Prime Minister Modi at the Ahmedabad stadium named after him.
The Congress party shared a video of Gandhi's remarks on its official X account. Gandhi remarked, "Modi comes on TV and says 'Hindu-Muslim' and sometimes goes to a cricket match. It is a different matter that the match was lost. Panauti."
Prime Minister Modi, along with Home Minister Amit Shah, had attended the match to support Team India. Videos of Modi consoling the players inside the dressing room after India's loss went viral on social media.
In response, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised Modi's interactions, labelling them as "choreographed consolation."
In the World Cup final, India, despite winning all previous matches, faced defeat against Australia. Australia secured their sixth Cricket World Cup trophy, causing disappointment among millions of Indian fans.