Madhya Pradesh: PM Modi slams Rahul Gandhi over 'Made in China' remark

Without using his name, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked Congressman Rahul Gandhi harshly on Tuesday, calling the Wayanad MP “Murkhon Ke Sardar” in response to the latter’s assertion that “Made in China” cell phones predominate in India. The prime minister made a jab at the Congress, claiming that its leaders suffer from a mental illness that prevents them from acknowledging the accomplishments of their own people, while speaking at a rally in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh, which is headed for elections. “One wise leader of the Congress said yesterday that everyone in India has ‘Made in China’ mobile phones. Arre Murkhon ke Sardar, (the leader of stupid people) in which world do you live! The leaders of the Congress have this mental disease of not recognising the achievements of their own countrymen,” the PM said. PM Modi further said that he ‘wondered’ which foreign lens the Congress leaders use as they are absolutely clueless about what is happening in the country. “The leaders of the Congress are flying so high that they can’t see the poor on the ground and are also clueless about the ground realities,” the Prime Minister said. He went on to say that India is currently the world’s second-largest producer of mobile phones. “India used to produce mobile phones valued at less than Rs 20,000 crore when the Congress party controlled the federal government. India currently produces mobile phones valued at more than Rs 3.5 lakh crore. We export cell phones to other nations for almost Rs 1 lakh crore,” Prime Minister Modi stated. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has criticised the BJP administration and claimed that Chinese goods were controlling the Indian market. “Today, we see ‘Made in China’ on shirts, cameras, mobile phones. Have you ever seen ‘Made in Madhya Pradesh’ written on any product? The Congress wants to start factories in Madhya Pradesh so that the youth of the state get job opportunities. We hope a day comes when a youth takes out his mobile phone in China and that phone has been manufactured in Madhya Pradesh,” Rahul had said at a rally in Madhya Pradesh. Voters in the state will cast ballots on November 17 and the results will be tallied on December 3. Legislators from 230 Assembly constituencies will be chosen by voters. Notably, the Congress emerged victorious from the 2018 state assembly elections, and seasoned leader Kamal Nath was sworn in as chief minister. However, in 2020, the state experienced a political earthquake when 22 loyalist MLAs and then-Congressman Jyotiraditya Scindia joined the saffron camp. After being reduced to a minority, the Congress government collapsed, and the BJP took power with Shivraj Singh Chouhan serving as chief minister once more. In an attempt to bring his party back to power, Rahul Gandhi declared on Tuesday that the people of Madhya Pradesh would give the Congress party a “toofan” (storm) and 145–150 seats in the upcoming assembly elections in the state. “I’ve been to Madhya Pradesh on multiple occasions. I can assure you 100% that the Congress party will have a “toofan” here. The people of Madhya Pradesh will give the Congress party between 145 and 150 seats, you can write that down,” the Congress leader declared. (With agency inputs)