BJP, Modi now hate ‘chowkidar’ word: Rahul

Damoh/Tikamgarh, April 30 (IANS) Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday taunted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the word 'chowkidar' saying the Prime Minister had presented himself as 'chowkidar', but now the BJP and the Prime Minister had started disliking the word.

Gandhi addressed public meetings in Damoh's Patharia and Jatara of Tikamgarh.

"In the last Lok Sabha elections, the slogan was 'ache din aayenge' but it has been changed now. When I say 'chowkidar' than public screams 'chor hai'," the Congress chief said.

"When he was elected the Prime Minister, he used to say 'I am not the Prime Minister' but the 'chowkidar'. But the BJP and Modi do not like this word any more. That's the reason the BJP complained to the Election Commission that Rahul Gandhi should not be allowed to use the word 'chowkidar'," the Congress leader said.

But why this happened, he wondered and added, "today if you say 'chowkidar' anywhere in the country the people respond with 'chor hai'. You would get the same answer even at Race Course Road in Delhi," he said.

The Congress chief said security guards, standing outside the Prime Minister's residence at Race Course Road, would give the same answer, if asked. "We get this answer only because he waived Rs 5 lakh crore loans of the rich," Gandhi said.

On revival of economy, he said the Congress had decided to "deposit Rs 6,000 a month in bank accounts of the poor after coming to power. This amount will kick start circulation of money in the market, factory production will get a boost, youth will get employment and the condition of economy will improve."

Raising his pet poll issues, Gandhi said: "Prime Minister Narendra Modi ruined the country's economy by implementing demonetisation and 'gabbar singh tax' (GST)." Blaming Modi of misusing powers by implementing demonetisation, Gandhi said: "Demonetisation had taken money out of people's pockets and the Prime Minister gave that amount to his industrialist friends."

"During the demonetisation, no thief or person with black money, but farmers, youths, unemployed, and people of Bundelkhand stood in the queues," said Gandhi. Modi gave money belonging to the poor to the rich, he said and added, the Congress would take back the money from the rich and give that to the poor.

"If Congress comes to power, tainted industrialists, including Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Chowksi, will not be spared," he said.

Remarking that Modi deceived people by saying that he would give Rs 15 lakh to each, the Congress chief said, "Depositing Rs 15 lakh in each bank account is not possible, but giving Rs 3,60,000 in five years is possible."