Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he was shocked upon hearing the term 'nashedi' used to characterise the youth of Uttar Pradesh. Without directly mentioning Rahul Gandhi, he noted that the prince of the Congress family referred to UP's youth as 'nashedi'.
"They spent decades abusing Modi. But now they are talking out their frustration on the people. Jinke aapne hosh thhikane nahi hai, wo UP ke, mere kashi ke bachcho ko nashedi keh raha hai,"the Prime Minister said, in a strong response to Rahul Gandhi's comments.
"Congress' Yuvraj says that youth of Kashi & UP are 'nashedi'. What kind of language is this?. Now they are taking out their frustration on the youth of Uttar Pradesh. The youth of UP are busy in building a developed state," PM Modi said.
During his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on Tuesday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi made a pointed comment about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency Varanasi. Speaking in Raebareli, the Lok Sabha constituency of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul observed that he witnessed people intoxicated and dancing on the streets of Varanasi, rather than witnessing progress.
"I visited Varanasi... Instead of progress, I witnessed a scene where individuals, Uttar Pradesh's future, lying drunk on the streets, dancing in the grip of alcohol." "On the other hand, Ram Mandir is being inaugurated in Ayodhya. You will find Narendra Modi, Adani, Ambani... You won't find people from the backward classes, adivasis, or Dalits," the Gandhi scion said.
BJP leaders slam Gandhi for his remarks
Varanasi constituency has received substantial funding from both the Central and state governments and is included in the Smart City mission initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 25, 2015.
After Gandhi's remarks, senior BJP leader hit out at the Congress leader.
In response to Rahul Gandhi's comments, state minister Dinesh Pratap Singh retaliated, suggesting that the Congress leader owes the nation an apology for his statements.
"It is saddening to hear such statements when efforts are being made by the Centre to take Indian culture to the world. Our culture does not allow public drinking. I can say that no one in my family consumes alcohol in public but can Rahul Gandhi say this? He should apologise for such remarks," he told news agency ANI.
Criticising Rahul's comment about Varanasi, Union Minister Smriti Irani stated, "Rahul has no right to insult the people of Kashi and the youth of Uttar Pradesh. The whole world looks to UP these days for its skillful and talented youth. We don't expect any apology from Rahul Gandhi as he is a shameless person."
