Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had on Sunday criticized the opposition party while touring the Gandhi bastion Amethi months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections .

“I laid the foundation stone for Amethi ordnance factory in 2010 and for the past many years it has been manufacturing small arms. Yesterday you went to Amethi and, as usual, lied,” the Congress president tweeted

प्रधानमंत्री जी,

अमेठी की ऑर्डिनेंस फैक्ट्री का शिलान्यास 2010 में मैंने खुद किया था।

पिछले कई सालों से वहां छोटे हथियारों का उत्पादन चल रहा है।

कल आप अमेठी गए और अपनी आदत से मजबूर होकर आपने फिर झूठ बोला।

क्या आपको बिल्कुल भी शर्म नहीं आती?

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 4, 2019

Watch | ‘Those concerned about Amethi did nothing for it’: Nirmala Sitharaman

Minister of state for external affairs VK Singh, responding to Rahul Gandhi, said nothing came out of the factory.

“Wish you were right, fact remains that nothing came out of the factory. Your stooges didn’t let it function,nor did they care about the armed forces or the security of the nation,’ Singh tweeted.

.@RahulGandhi,wish you were right, fact remains that nothing came out of the factory

Your stooges didn’t let it function,nor did they care about the armed forces or the security of the nation

Grateful that with the efforts @narendramodi ji we are revitalizing defence production https://t.co/KaxoJnX3sE

— Vijay Kumar Singh (@Gen_VKSingh) March 4, 2019

Prime Minister Modi on Sunday stormed the Lok Sabha constituency of Rahul Gandhi, inaugurating a number of projects and attacking the Congress on development and national security issues.

Announcing the launch of a joint venture between India and Russia for the manufacture of AK 203 Kalsahnikov assault rifles in Amethi’s Ordnance factory, Modi said Amethi was the perfect example of the BJP’s policy of ‘Sabka saath, sabka vikas’.

The PM flayed the Congress for misusing the country’s resources saying that the Amethi ordnance factory, launched in 2007, was supposed to begin production from 2010 but nothing happened.

“Tall promises were made. Your local MP promised that he would ensure employment to 1,500 locals in this ordnance factory but merely 200 got jobs. Imagine those who couldn’t ensure jobs to people in Amethi are now lecturing on employment,” Modi said, adding that the AK-203 would be the best publicity for Amethi.

“Now, Amethi will not be known for a famous family but for AK 203, ‘Made in Amethi’. These rifles will help our jawans in encounters with naxals and terrorists,” he said and added that those who cheated Amethi also ignored the country’s defence needs.

The PM alleged that the Rafale deal was bitterly opposed by the Congress for the sake of commission and added that the first Rafale jet would be seen flying on Indian skies soon.

Rahul Gandhi has been representing the Amethi constituency in the Lok Sabha since 2004 and before him his mother Sonia Gandhi held the seat for one term.

After Amethi district was created in 1967, the Congress has won all Lok Sabha elections barring two -- 1977, when Janata Party won and 1998 when BJP won. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and his brother Sanjay have also represented the seat in the past.

First Published: Mar 04, 2019 09:46 IST