New Delhi, February 23 A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attack on the Congress, calling their politics "dirty and shameless," Rahul Gandhi responded on Monday, saying it is shameful that the names of the prime minister and one of his cabinet colleagues appear in the Epstein files, "selling" India's interests under the Indo-US trade deal and "handing over" the country's data.
In a post on X, the Congress leader claimed that Modi is unable to sleep at night due to a court case against industrialist Gautam Adani in the United States and alleged that it is a case against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its financial architecture. He asserted that the inaction on the matter for 14 months is shameful.
Gandhi said that whatever the prime minister may do, the Congress will not retreat even an inch and will continue to defend the country.
Coming down heavily on the Congress over its "shirtless" protest at the recently concluded India AI Impact Summit here, Modi alleged on Sunday that the opposition party turned an international event hosted by India into a platform for their "dirty and shameless" politics.
"Modiji, you are talking about shame? Let me tell you what shame is. Your name, your minister's and your friend's names appearing together in the Epstein files, being linked to such a vile criminal -- that is a matter of shame. The trade deal you have done with the US, in which you have sold out the country -- that is shameful.
"You have handed over our country's data. You have ruined the farmers. You have ruined the textile industry -- that is shameful. The entire country knows that the ongoing case against Adani in the US has kept you awake at night -- because it is a case against the BJP and your financial architecture. For 14 months, no action has been taken on it -- that is shameful," the former Congress chief said in his post in Hindi.
"Modiji, you do whatever you deem appropriate for your friends Anil Ambani, Adani and yourself. I and the lion-hearted warriors of the Congress will continue to defend the country -- we will not retreat even an inch," he added.
In a video message along with his post, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha claimed that there is fear in the prime minister's eyes and that is why he chose not to face the opposition in Parliament during the Budget session.
Gandhi claimed that it was not former Army chief M M Naravane's unpublished book but the Epstein files and the court case against Adani in the US that kept Modi away from Parliament.
He reiterated his allegations that Modi has "sold out" the country's interests under the India-US interim trade deal, in which he claimed New Delhi got nothing, and added that the name of a Union minister coming up in the Epstein files is a matter of shame.
He said it is shameful that the minister's name was mentioned in the files related to Jeffrey Epstein, who was a known paedophile.
"Modiji, continue to do what is right for your friends. But we protect the country, the farmers, the labourers, the country's small and medium industries and data, and we would continue to do that," Gandhi said in his video message, while calling on Congress workers to continue to protect the country, its farmers and labourers, and not step back even an inch.
Inaugurating the Namo Bharat train and the Meerut Metro Rail extension on Sunday, Modi said the Congress's conduct has shown how "ideologically-bankrupt and impoverished" the grand old party has become.
He accused the Congress of crossing all limits and said the conduct of the opposition party drew widespread criticism. However, instead of feeling ashamed, Congress leaders are glorifying those who insulted the country, the prime minister said.
Youth Congress workers staged a "shirtless" protest at Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the AI summit, on Friday.
