The opposition Wednesday gave Prime Minister Narendra Modi a new epithet 'Prachar Mantri', with opposition leaders targeting Modi with the freshly minted jibe.
Addressing an election meeting in Hardoi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav attacked the prime minister, saying, "The nation needs a 'pradhan mantri' (prime minister) and not a 'prachar mantri' (publicity minister)." Similarly, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called the prime minister 'pradhan prachar mantri' (chief publicity minister).
"Water from tankers were being used to clean roads to welcome our 'pradhan prachar mantri' (chief publicity minister)", she claimed, accusing the BJP of wasting drinking water to clean roads in Banda, an arid town in Uttar Pradesh's Bundelkhand region, ahead of Modi's visit tomorrow to address an election meeting.
"This is happening at a time when the entire Bundelkhand, the men and women living there, school going children, crops, birds and animals are facing the spectre of drought," she said.
In a tweet, Priyanka Gandhi said, "Is he a 'chowkidar' (watchman) or a 'shahenshah' (emperor) coming from Delhi."
Hitting back, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Priyanka Gandhi's statements showed the fear of defeat gripping the Congress.
"The fear of defeat has gripped the Congress so much so that it can be proved from the fact that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has termed 11 seconds of washing of keechad (mud), as the washing of an entire road," Adityanath said.
In a tweet, the chief minister said, "The Congress is a factory of lies. Even after tendering an apology in the Supreme Court, these Congressmen are not mending their ways."
His reference was to Congress president Rahul Gandhi expressing regret in the Supreme Court on Monday over his remark "chowkidar (watchman) Narendra Modi chor hai" in connection with the Rafale fighter jet judgment.
PTI
