Chhattisgarh Elections: Congress still crying how a ‘chaiwala’ became PM, says Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that even after the four and half years of his government, the Congress party has still not been able to digest the fact that how a “Chaiwala” (tea seller) became the PM of India.

Addressing a rally in poll-bound Chhattisgarh’s Ambikapur, Modi said, “It has been nearly four and a half years and these people have still not come to the terms that I am the PM. They are still crying, how can a 'Chaiwala' become PM?”

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Referring to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s remark that today India has a “Chaiwala” as prime minister because Nehru made it possible, Modi said that he would also say the same if Congress can elect a non-Gandhi president for five years.

“They say a 'Chaiwala' became PM because of one great person. I want to challenge them, let some good leader of Congress outside of the family become the party president for 5 years, then I will say that Nehru ji really created a truly democratic system there,” Modi said.

Speaking at the relaunch of his book on the eve of Jawaharlal Nehru’s birth anniversary, Tharoor had said, "If today we have a Chaiwala as prime minister, it is because Nehru ji made it possible to create the institutional structures through which any Indian can aspire to rise to the highest office in the land."

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The prime minister also took on Congress president Rahul Gandhi for attacking him over his demonetisation move and said that only one family is “crying” for that.

“No one from those sitting here is not crying over demonetisation but only one family is crying,” the prime minister said.

#WATCH: PM Modi speaking on #Demonetisation says,"Yahan baitha ek bhi vyakti notebandi ke liye aaj ro nahi raha hai, akela ek parivaar ro raha hai." #ChhattisgarhElections pic.twitter.com/9typy97deb

— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2018

The first phase of voting for the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly was held on November 12. In the first phase, 18 constituencies spread across eight Naxal-hit districts went to polls. The second phase of the elections is scheduled to be held on November 12.