PM Modi called Rahul Gandhi a "person who does not listen and does not sit in the House" (File)
Slamming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his attack on the Central government for not issuing a clarification on issues like the India-China border dispute and rising unemployment in Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that detailed answers were given by respective ministries and he had also spoken on some subjects whenever and wherever it was necessary.
In an exclusive interview to news agency ANI, the Prime Minister targeted the former Congress chief and dubbed him as a "person who does not listen and does not sit in the House."
Stressing that he welcomes debate in Parliament, PM Modi said that he and his government do not attack anyone and believe in dialogue.
"I don't know the language to attack (someone) and it is not in my nature as well. But on the basis of logic and facts, the media might interpret my words in the House to stir some controversy," he said.
The Prime Minister was responding to a question on Congress allegations that during his speeches in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, he did not answer Rahul Gandhi's questions on unemployment, the India-China issue and attacked the Congress party instead.
Elaborating further, the Prime Minister said, "We don't attack anyone, instead we believe in holding dialogue. At times, there are debates (vaad-vivaad), interruptions (toka-taki) (in Parliament), I welcome this and that is why I don't have any reason to be miffed (on these subjects)."
"I have given facts on every subject and spoken on every subject on the basis of facts. On some subjects, our external affairs ministry and defence ministry have given detailed answers and wherever it was necessary, I had also spoken. How do I reply to a person who does not listen, and does not sit in the House?" he added.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong attack on the Congress during his speeches in the Parliament and said the BJP-led government was "scared of Congress".
He alleged that the Prime Minister's "fear of Congress" was reflected in the Parliament and he focused on criticising the party and did not talk about the promises made by the BJP.
Starting the discussion on behalf of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha on February 2, the former Congress president had fiercely targeted the Central government and PM Modi over unemployment, inflation, and the India-China border issue.
Replying to the debate in Lok Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address on February 7, PM Modi had said that Congress policy is "divide and rule" and it has become the leader of "tukde tukde" gang.
A day later in Rajya Sabha on February 8, PM Modi said that Congress's thinking has been hijacked by 'urban Naxals'. He said that if there was no Congress, there would be no Emergency, no caste politics, Sikhs would never have been massacred and Kashmiri Pandits would not have happened.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)