New Delhi: Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi for his attack on him yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today appeared taking a swipe at him saying some people age but their understanding does not grow.
“Some people age but their understanding does not grow. Hence they take time to understand,” he said, without naming anyone.
Paying back in good measure to Rahul without naming him, Modi appeared to be responding to his remarks yesterday that the prime minister should “listen” to others by saying it is “easy to preach others”.
The Prime Minister recalled how Rahul had in 2013 shown “respect” to the Cabinet headed by Manmohan Singh and veterans of his cabinet including A K Antony, Sharad Pawar and Farooq Abdullah by tearing in public an Ordinance cleared by it.
Apparently responding to allegations of disallowing dissent, he narrated an anecdote related to President Nikita Krushchev of erstwhile Soviet Union.
“After Stalin died, Krushchev would criticise him wherever he went. At one meeting, Krushchev was criticising Stalin and one youth said, ‘you have worked with Stalin, then why are you criticising him now?… Krushchev replied, ‘I wished to do the same in Stalin era but could not. You can do it. Got the answer?”
At this point also he said, “So it will take to understand this. And even almonds won’t help in it. You may understand a bit of it but I cannot say about others.”
Referring to disruptions in Parliament due to which several bills, including the crucial GST legislation is stuck, Modi said “House is not allowed to function due to inferiority complex (of the opposition leadership).”
While elaborating, he appeared to suggest that top Congress leadership was not allowing “young” and “bright” leaders to emerge fearing that they may overshadow Rahul.
“In the opposition there are bright and talented youngsters who don’t get a chance to speak…They do a lot lot of study…The concern is that if they speak, they will be praised. Then what will happen to us,” Modi said to the cheers from the treasury benches.
He also took on Rahul for mocking at the government’s ambitious ‘Make in India’ programme, questioning whether such a scheme should be made fun of.
“You are mocking at ‘Make in India’? If it is not successful, you should suggest what should be done to make it successful,” he said.