Lok Sabha polls: Rahul Gandhi named Nirav Modi during his interaction with Stella Maris College students
Rahul Gandhi's flub at a college in Chennai while talking about fugitive jeweler Nirav Modi drove his young audience of students wild on Wednesday. It so happened that the Congress president blurted out "Narendra" instead of "Nirav" while talking about corrupt businessmen looting taxpayers' money.
"These people ran away with thousands of crores of rupees," said Rahul Gandhi, naming Nirav Modi, his uncle Mehul Choksi -- both accused in the Rs 13,000 crore bank scam - and Anil Ambani.
"How many jobs did Mr Nirav Modi create for India? I can bet that you would be able to create more jobs with say Rs 30 lakh the government gives you to start business."
He talked about opening the banking system to young entrepreneurs who could take loans and start a business.
"What we want to do is we want to take the money that is going to 15-17 corrupt business people like Narendra...Not Narendra, Nirav Modi..." He paused and grinned, interrupted by a roar of laughter.
"Nirav Modi," he repeated, continuing: "... and open the banking system to entrepreneurs like yourselves so that young women and men can go to banks, take loans and create businesses," said Mr Gandhi at interaction with Stella Maris College students in Chennai.
The Congress has often played on the "Modi" name to accuse the government of shielding high-profile offenders like Nirav Modi, who left India before investigators could get to him.