PM Modi tears into Rahul Gandhi, says his father's life ended as 'corrupt No. 1'

Intensifying his attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the life of his father, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, ended as ‘corrupt number 1’. "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as ''Bhrashtachari No 1'' (corrupt number 1)," PM Modi said at a rally in Uttar Pradesh. 

Accusing the grand old party and its president of harping on the acquisition of Rafale deal only to tarnish his image, PM Modi claimed Rahul Gandhi himself has admitted in an interview that his only aim is to tarnish Modi's image.

“By hurling abuses, you cannot turn the 50 long years of Modi's tapasya (struggle) into dust," PM Modi said.

"By tarnishing my image and by making me look small, these people want to form an unstable and a weak government in the country," he added.

"The naamdaar must clearly listen that this Modi was not born with a golden spoon, nor was he born in any royal family," he said, referring to Gandhi.

The Prime Minister claimed that the Congress is known for dividing the country, and charged it with bringing down coalition governments in the past.

The prime minister also attacked the Congress over its own record in tackling terrorism.

"These people had created the hype of Hindu terrorism. Today, the terrorists and their masters are praying that Modi should not come to power, but the country is saying 'Phir ek baar, Modi sarkaar'," he said.

In Basti, he accused the opposition of playing vote bank politics.

"The SP, BSP and Congress are the biggest example of how principles are trampled upon for power. They are so affected by the bad habit of getting their vote bank arithmetic right that they consider people just numbers," PM Modi said.

With Agency Inputs