He also attacked the Opposition for stalling Parliament over the currency ban, by alleging that they were trying to "rescue the corrupt"
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday mocked at Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, saying that the latter was "learning how to make speeches". He was speaking in Varanasi on Thursday, his first tour of his parliamentary constituency in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, since demonetization. His speech was closely watched, since it came a day after Gandhi accused him of accepting kickbacks from corporate houses when he was Gujarat Chief Minister.
Modi, without naming Gandhi, replied to the allegations with sarcasm, saying: "It is good that he has started speaking. In 2009, you couldn't even tell what is in this packet. Now we are finding out...Since the time he has learnt how to speak, I am the happiest," the Prime Minister said. "There would have been an earthquake had he not spoken... good that he has started speaking, we now know that there's no chance of an earthquake," he chuckled to his audience. We now know that there is no chance of an earthquake." Modi didn't even spare his predecessor Manmohan Singh, and referred to him by name.
"Look at Manmohan Singhji. Do you know he has been in the core team of those in charge of the country's economy since the seventies? Even he says that in the country where 50 per cent people are poor, how can all these digitisation happen? Now is this his report card or mine? Whose legacy am I dealing with?" he said.
"They have a youth leader; he is learning how to speak... Since the time he has learnt how to speak, I am the happiest," the Prime Minister said. "There would have been an earthquake had he not spoken... good that he has started speaking, we now know that there's no chance of an earthquake," he chuckled to his audience.
He also attacked the Opposition for stalling Parliament over the currency ban, by alleging that they were trying to "rescue the corrupt". He even drew parallels between Pakistan providing cover fire to terrorists to cross the border with the Opposition opposing the note ban to protect kala dhan (black money) as well as kale mann (ill-intentions) of many. "Many people say I had not taken into account the consequences of this huge step. In fact, the only thing that I could not take into account was the brazenness with which many political parties and leaders will come to the rescue of the corrupt. But I am happy that this drive, aimed at eliminating kala dhan has exposed so many kale mann," Modi said.
Taking on former finance minister Chidambaram over his assertion that online transactions could not find wide acceptance in India since nearly half its villages were not even electrified, PM Modi said: "Whose faults are he pointing at? Did I uproot electric poles or snap cables in villages which had electricity?".
Referring to Gandhi's assertion at a public meeting in Gujarat on Wednesday that payments through cards, online transfers etc., would face hurdles in the country due to low literacy levels, the PM ridiculed the previous Congress governments for keeping people illiterate.
"I hope he does not say that I had indulged in some sort of black magic to make illiterate those who knew how to read and write. He never thinks before he speaks and he may not have realised that he has admitted the failure of the long reign of his own party." Calling himself Kashi ka bachcha (a child of Kashi), Modi said: "I am, nonetheless, delighted to see that the power of this holy land has made me work and forced detractors to admit, even if unwittingly, their failures," he concluded.
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