Modi says Cong is a ‘bail gaadi’

Doubting Army’s capabilities wrong: PM

Pitching for the BJP’s reelection in Rajasthan Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched an attack on the Congress, labeling it as a “bail-gaadi” as several of its high-profile leaders and former ministers were out on bail.

Addressing a rally of beneficiaries of welfare schemes run by the Centre and the state government, Mr Modi played on the Hindi word “Bayl gaadi” for a bullock cart, to mock the alleged criminal cases filed against Congress leaders.

“Some people have started calling Congress “bailgaadi” as several leaders who are called stalwarts of the Congress and former ministers are out on bail these days,” Mr Modi said in an apparent reference to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor who got bail on Saturday in the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar.

Making an apparent reference to the surgical strike into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in 2016, he criticised the Congress for questioning the capabilities of the Army.

“It is unfortunate that political opponents also committed a sin by raising questions on the capabilities of the Army. This has never happened before and the people will not forgive those who are doing this kind of politics,” he said.

During the public rally on Saturday, seen as an informal launch of the BJP’s campaign for the Assembly elections later this year, the Prime Minister enlisted the development works carried out by the Central and state governments.