Kolar (Karnataka): Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi by likening him to a mobile phone, saying that "Modiji uses only speaker and airplane mode and not work mode".
Gandhi's retort came in response to a query from reporters about Modi's jibe at an election rally that the Congress would be reduced to "PPP (Punjab, Puducherry and Parivar) Congress" after the Karnataka polls.
"There are three modes in a cell phone: the first is the work mode, the other two are speaker mode and airplane mode. Modiji only uses speaker and airplane mode, he never uses work mode," Gandhi said.
Gandhi, who held a protest here over rise in prices of petroleum products, alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s chief ministerial candidate in Karnataka B.S. Yeddyurappa and Reddy brothers were "most corrupt" and asked Modi why he was "shielding" them.
Gandhi also targeted Modi on issues like atrocities against Dalits, who were being "suppressed, crushed in the country". He accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological fountainhead of the BJP, of being against the progress of the Dalits.
"There is the example of Rohith Vemula. Whenever a Dalit goes towards education, wants to transform his life, the RSS and its thinking stops him," he said.
"Modiji said B.S. Yeddyurappa is their chief ministerial candidate. Yedyurappaji is the most corrupt CM that the country has ever seen. Reddy brothers are the most corrupt people that this country has ever seen. Modiji should tell why he is protecting corrupt Yedyurappaji and Reddy brothers," he said.
Gandhi also accused Modi of ignoring the farmers of the state.
"He should tell what he was doing when the farmers of Karnataka were seeking a loan waiver. The Karnataka government waived off loans of Rs 8,000 crore. Why did Modiji not contribute a single rupee?" he said asked.
He further said that Modi had not raised the Doklam issue with China during his recent visit to the neigbhouring country.
"Modiji should tell is why did he go to China. China has intruded into Doklam, it is constructing a helipad there and our PM is having tea and greeting them. He did not speak a word on Doklam," he said.
"The Congress will return to power here. Siddaramaiahji has done very good work. We will win elections," he added.