Comments made by Rahul Gandhi on Thursday are a reflection of his upbringing, Smriti Irani said.
A day after Congress president Rahul Gandhi launched a no-holds barred attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani on Friday said he was indulging in low level politics.
On Thursday, Mr Gandhi had said at a public meeting in Rajasthan's Dungarpur district that people are now heard saying the country's "watchman", an apparent reference to PM Modi, is a "thief".
PM Modi had said he did not want to become the country's prime minister, but its 'chowkidar' (watchman), Mr Gandhi recalled.
"Galli galli mein shor hai, Hindustan ka chowkidar chor hai" Mr Gandhi had said in Hindi at a rally in tribal-dominated Sagawara, referring to PM Modi's silence on the Rafale fighter jets deal and his government's failure to bring fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya to book.
Comments made by Mr Gandhi on Thursday are a reflection of his upbringing, Ms Irani said.
"By making such remarks he is presenting an example of low level politics. On one hand he hugs the prime minister and speaks about politics of love. But his comments on the prime minister prove that he has the ability to lie before Parliament as well as to the nation," she told reporters on the sidelines of an event.
Ms Irani was to inaugurate "SOURCE India 2018", a three-day exhibition organised by The Synthetic and Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council.
The Centre is committed to developing the textile sector which has great potential to create new employment opportunities, an official press release by the Gujarat government quoted Ms rani as saying.
She exuded confidence that the three-day event would bring in business worth USD 200 million, the release said.