Rahul Gandhi's "Mitron" Swipe At PM As Rajasthan Slashes Cooking Gas Price

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has taken a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to stop favouring "mitron" (friends) and serve the people reeling under inflation.

The dig at the Prime Minister came in a tweet in which the Congress leader praised the Rajasthan government's move to provide cooking gas cylinders at Rs 500 to people under the poverty line and enrolled in the Ujjwala scheme. Rajasthan is one out of three states where the Congress is currently in power.

"The Rajasthan government has made a big announcement to provide gas cylinder for Rs 500, less than half of what the centre is charging. Mr Prime Minister, stop treating Mitron (your friends) and serve people suffering due to inflation," the Congress leader tweeted.

₹500 में गैस सिलेंडर देने का राजस्थान की कांग्रेस सरकार का बड़ा ऐलान - केंद्र सरकार की कीमतों के आधे से भी कम दाम में।

प्रधानमंत्री जी, ‘मित्रों' को मेवा खिलाना बंद कीजिए, महंगाई से त्रस्त जनता की सेवा कीजिए।

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 20, 2022

The Ashok Gehlot government's move is significant as it comes ahead of the Assembly elections due next year. The Congress is set to go all out in its campaign and faces the tall challenge of the tussle between Mr Gehlot and senior leader Sachin Pilot that had almost brought down the government in 2020.

'Mitron' is a term often used by the Prime Minister in his public addresses. Mr Gandhi recently took a jab at the Prime Minister during a public speech when he used the word, followed by a chuckle.

Mr Gandhi is currently in Rajasthan's Alwar as the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by him gradually proceeds towards Srinagar. The Yatra, which started in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari on September 7, is the Congress' desperate attempt to rally support ahead of the 2024 general election.