Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi who accused Sonia Gandhi of insulting President Droupadi Murmu, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday, 2 February, said the attempt to make it an election issue was an insult to people struggling with problems of inflation and unemployment.
In a stinging attack on Modi and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Priyanka Gandhi said she has not seen such "crybaby" leaders and "bigger cowards than them".
Addressing a public meeting in Seemapuri, Priyanka Gandhi said Prime Minister Modi and AAP chief Kejriwal are alike and both are "slaves of these big industrialists".
The Congress general secretary slammed Modi for raising the issue of Sonia Gandhi's remarks about Murmu after the President's address to a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on Friday.
"Modi ji that day said about my mother that she had insulted the President. What kind of issue did they raise? One elderly woman is expressing her sympathy for another elderly woman, saying that 'bechari Rashtrapati ji thak gayi hongi ek ghante ka bhashan unko padhna pada (President would have been tired as she was made to read out an address for an hour)'.
"They attempted to make this an election issue, saying it is an insult. You are insulting the people of the country who are struggling due to inflation and unemployment, they are not getting pensions and safai karamcharis are troubled, and you are talking about these useless things," she said.
Priyanka Gandhi urged the people to force leaders to talk about real issues. Soon after the President delivered her address, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were seen discussing the speech in the Parliament complex.
"The poor lady, the president, was getting very tired by the end... She could hardly speak, poor thing," Sonia Gandhi was purportedly heard saying in a video clip doing the rounds of social media.
Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress, accusing its "shahi parivar" of insulting President Murmu, who hails from a tribal background, and demanding an apology.
In her remarks at the rally in favour of party candidate Rajesh Lilothia, Priyanka Gandhi said her father Rajiv Gandhi used to go among the people and get scolded for works not completed, and asked if such a thing could be done with the current prime minister.
"Try and scold PM Modi and you will be put in jail," Priyanka Gandhi said.
The Congress MP from Wayanad said someone was writing a letter from jail to get themselves freed. "'Bring us out of jail, we will do as you say we are your slaves'. Someone was helping the British.
"They did not fight for your Independence and, therefore, they are unable to understand the nature of this country," Priyanka Gandhi said, slamming the BJP and the RSS.
The day the people of the country wake up, these people will not last long in power, she said.
"Why do we keep talking about the Constitution? (Because) this is your protective shield, this has given you equal rights, you have the same vote as the PM, this gives you reservation, this gives you strength. Therefore, protect this Constitution and in turn, it will protect you," she said.
Later, at a rally in Babarpur for party candidate Haji Mohammad Ishraq, Priyanka Gandhi said Modi frequently blames Nehru while Kejriwal blames Modi.
"Modi ji says that because of Nehru ji many works were stalled. For all the work he is unable to do, he immediately blames Nehru ji as an excuse. Kejriwal says that he is unable to work due to Modi ji. I haven't seen such crybaby leaders. I have not seen bigger cowards than them," Priyanka Gandhi said.
"I am the granddaughter of Indira Gandhi, I have seen her break Pakistan into two parts. I laugh at their (Modi and Kejriwal) cowardice that they are unable to take even this small responsibility that they built roads and hospitals for you. Nehruji built AIIMS, IITs. What have they built?" she said.
"Remember that the person that does work doesn't blow his own trumpet. I saw it in Parliament yesterday during the Budget speech.
"They changed a tax slab and Modi ji was frantically beating the desk. I was thinking 'you have done the work and you are only clapping, let others clap at least'.
"In the entire Budget speech, there was no mention of inflation. It is because these people are disconnected from you. Did Modi come out during Covid and ask about the welfare of the people when they were dying on the roads?" she asked.
"He is only seen in polls and when there is no election, he is seen in the US, China, Japan Africa and big European countries, meeting and hugging and shaking hands of presidents and prime ministers," she said.
Priyanka Gandhi alleged that Modi is not seen in Seemapuri, Jangpura and Okhla in Delhi. The people have spoilt his habit, she said.
She said she slapped her son only once but have scolded him many times when she saw that he was acquiring a bad habit and also did the same with her daughter.
"So you also explain and make leaders realise that when they come for election stages, they should tell us when our roads will be fine, when they will deal with the problem of traffic, when will the problem of pollution be solved. Teach the leaders a lesson," she said.
Hitting out at Kejriwal, Priyanka Gandhi said his politics emerged from the assertion that "I am honest and everyone is a thief". Beware of those who say so, Priyanka Gandhi said.
"Kejriwal came based on honesty but what happened? The liquor scam took place," she said.
"Modi ji said we are honest and these Congress people are thieves. What honesty has he shown in the last 10 years? He handed over the entire resources of the country to Adani-Ambani," she alleged.
Priyanka Gandhi alleged that whether it is Kejriwal or Modi, they are slaves of these big industrialists. Modi talks about "sheesh mahal". For the BJP, it has become a major issue that Kejriwal built a "sheesh mahal" for himself and for AAP leaders, Modi made a "raj mahal".
