New Delhi: The BJP on Tuesday dismissed as baseless and utterly laughable Rahul Gandhi’s swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his public meetings in Jammu and Kashmir, and said that levelling unsubstantiated allegations has become a hallmark of the Congress leader.

Gandhi had claimed on Monday that the opposition INDIA bloc broke Modi’s “psychology” in the Lok Sabha elections. “He used to boast about a 56-inch chest but he is not the same person anymore,” Gandhi had said.

Union minister G Kishan Reddy, who is one of the two BJP in-charges for the assembly polls in the UT, said in a statement that Gandhi has no moral authority to criticise Modi who has worked “selflessly and with utmost integrity” to elevate India’s standing on the global stage.

Noting that Gandhi claimed that Modi has lost his confidence, Reddy said the confidence of prime minister is not something that requires the Leader of Opposition’s endorsement or certificate.

He said, “The people of India, who have consistently placed their faith in Modi, will undoubtedly deliver a fitting response to Rahul Gandhi’s continuous slander and divisive politics.”

Reddy said the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections won more seats than the INDIA bloc combined, asserting that Indians have unshakeable trust and confidence in Modi’s leadership.

On the other hand, he said, Gandhi has lost confidence in democracy and has resorted to undermining and disrespecting its key institutions like Parliament and the country’s highest constitutional bodies such as the Supreme Court and the Election Commission.

Targeting the Congress and Gandhi, Reddy said a party that ruled India for 60 years has been relegated to double digits for three consecutive elections.

“Despite such resounding defeats, Rahul Gandhi insists on spreading misinformation and making hollow accusations against the prime minister,” he added.

Levelling unsubstantiated allegations against Modi and the Union government has become a hallmark of his political rhetoric, Reddy said.

He said, “The fact that Modi has been elected as prime minister for three consecutive terms, securing a majority in Parliament each time, is a testament to the immense trust that 1.4 billion Indians have placed in him. This overwhelming faith in Modi’s leadership is what continues to unite the nation behind him.”

Be it Covid-19 or any crisis India has faced, it is the unwavering trust of the people that empowers Modi to make bold and decisive moves, he said, claiming that his confidence transcends India’s borders, garnering respect and trust from the global community.

During the Ukraine-Russia conflict, it was Modi’s leadership that facilitated the safe return of Indian citizens, earning praise for his strength and determination, he said.

Reddy added, “For Rahul Gandhi to claim that he has shaken Prime Minister Modi’s confidence is nothing short of absurd. No Indian, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, would find such statements believable. Rahul Gandhi, who failed to maintain his own party leadership after multiple electoral defeats and often chooses to retreat abroad, lacks any moral standing to comment on the confidence of a leader like Modi.”

Gandhi’s political acumen is questionable and he lacks any serious understanding of governance. If he did not, he would first review the accomplishments of Modi over the past 100 days before making such reckless statements, Reddy said.

After losing three consecutive Lok Sabha elections, it is Gandhi himself who appears to have lost confidence, resorting to divisive tactics that harm the country’s progress and unity, he said.1