Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. (File)
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi by linking his “56-inch strongman” image with China’s transgressions into Indian territory, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said if the Prime Minister allowed the Chinese to understand that they can manipulate him because of his image, he will no longer be worth anything for India. He said the PM denied that the “Chinese are sitting in our territory” which suggests that “he is worried about defending his image”.
The BJP hit back, with party president J P Nadda accusing Gandhi of indulging in “mudslinging” and describing his remarks as another “failed” edition of “Project RG Relaunch”.
“The PM fabricated a fake strongman image to come to power. It was his biggest strength. It is now India’s biggest weakness,” Gandhi tweeted along with a video message in which he talked about China’s strategic and tactical game plan. He said China is putting pressure on Modi to act in a way they want him to or they will destroy his strongman image, and he has so far been seen as the one succumbing to it.
“And they (China) are thinking of putting pressure in a very particular way. And what they are doing, is that they are attacking his image. They understand that in order for Narendra Modi to be an effective politician; in order for Modi to survive as a politician, he has to protect the idea of ‘chhappan inch’,” he said.