Modi takes on PM, Tharoor and Sonia, calls Sunanda 'Rs 50 crore girlfriend'

Mandi: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was at his offensive best on Monday as he continued his attack on the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. This time, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongman took on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and newly-appointed Minister of State for Human Resources Development (HRD) Shashi Tharoor during an election rally in Himachal Pradesh.

While addressing a public rally as part of the campaign for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections, the Gujarat Chief Minister took a jibe at the Prime Minister calling him 'Maun' Mohan Singh. Modi mocked the Prime Minister for his alleged silence on price rise and inflation.

He said, "Maun Mohan Singh broke his silence only in Himachal Pradesh yesterday. He should have spoken on price rise and said that he failed at controlling them and that he will try to bring them down." The BJP leader further said that he would have been happy if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi had "thought about the poor."

While the Gujarat Chief Minister called the Prime Minister \'Maun\' Mohan Singh, he said Sonia did not know how to run a kitchen.

Hitting out at UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, the BJP leader said "she does not know how to run kitchen". "If she knew, she would not have allowed capping of LPG cylinders. Indian woman, who runs a kitchen, is suffering," said Modi.

Taking potshots at another UPA minister, Shashi Tharoor, who made a comeback during the Cabinet reshuffle on Sunday as the Minister of State for HRD, the BJP leader attacked his wife Sunanda Pushkar, calling her "a 50 crore girlfriend".

Modi said, "There was a Congress leader who was a minister in Parliament. He was accused of amassing wealth from cricket. He had said in Parliament that he is not connected to the Rs 50 crore in the lady's name." He further asked, "Have you ever heard of Rs 50 crore girlfriend?"

The Gujarat Chief Minister also attacked Congress leader Salman Khurshid, who was earlier the Union Law Minister and has now been appointed as the Minister for External Affairs. In a veiled attack on Khurshid over the recent controversy surrounding his trust, Modi alleged that a corrupt politician had got a promotion. Himachal Pradesh votes next Sunday.

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