Nobody is questioning Rahul Gandhi's love dictionary, PM Modi said (File)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who lately received another message of love from Rahul Gandhi, today said he would expose the reality of "their love dictionary". He then came up with a list of more than 20 abuses he faced over the years, including Sonia Gandhi's "Maut ka Saudagar (Merchant of death)" remark. But no one, he said, has taken the Congress or its chief to task for it, he said.
"The way the naamadar (dynast) is holding up 'love dictionary', nobody is questioning it. They (the Congress) has shredded their dignity by abusing me," PM Modi said.
Rahul Gandhi's professed policy of having only love for his enemies -- an idea espoused by Mahatma Gandhi -- has been considered a part of his coming of age as a politician. Since hugging Prime Minister on the floor of the Lok Sabha last year, and declaring that he had "only love" for him, Rahul Gandhi has repeated the sentiment more than once.
In a tweet last week in response to the Prime Minister's remarks on his father --- that Rajiv Gandhi had "ended his life as bhrashtachari (corrupt) number one" -- he said:
A day later, he reinforced the message at an election rally.
"Narendra Modi insulted a martyr (Rajiv Gandhi), no matter how much hatred he has for my family, I only have love for him," he was quoted as saying by news agency Press Trust of India.
The Prime Minister today took the matter head-on.
"What is this dictionary of love? What are the words contained in it? How can he shower love on Modi?" PM Modi said. He then proceeded to list more than 20 abuses, which, he said, were used against him by Congress leaders.
Over the years, various leaders, the prime minister claimed, had compared him to totalitarian figures like Hitler, Gaddaffi and Mussolini. "They even abused my mother and asked who my father is," he said.
The Prime Minister also said the Congress has backed people who talk about chopping him into pieces.
"Those who talk about chopping me into pieces, Congress has given them election tickets and increased their morale because they want to chop Modi into pieces," PM Modi said.
"But see the fun of democracy in a large country. No one is questioning them," he added.