New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday urged his supporters to take the ‘main bhi chowkidar’ (I too am watchman) pledge and said he was not alone in the fight against graft and social evils, drawing ridicule from Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
“Your Chowkidar is standing firm & serving the nation. But, I am not alone. Everyone who is fighting corruption, dirt, social evils is a Chowkidar. Everyone working hard for the progress of India is a Chowkidar. Today, every Indian is saying-#MainBhiChowkidar,” the prime minister wrote on Twitter.
Your Chowkidar is standing firm & serving the nation.
But, I am not alone.
Everyone who is fighting corruption, dirt, social evils is a Chowkidar.
Everyone working hard for the progress of India is a Chowkidar.
Today, every Indian is saying-#MainBhiChowkidar
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 16, 2019
He also posted a short video to drive home his message.
Soon after, Gandhi mocked Modi and tweeted, “Defensive tweet Mr Modi! You feeling a little guilty today” while a tagging a picture of Modi along with businessmen such as Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, Anil Ambani and Gautam Adani.
Defensive tweet Mr Modi!
You feeling a little guilty today? pic.twitter.com/ztVGRlc599
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 16, 2019
The Congress president earlier alleged that Modi only served the interests of his industrialist-friends.
Modi has often described himself as a “chowkidar” who would neither allow corruption nor get corrupted himself.
Gandhi has been repeatedly hurling the “chowkidar chor hai” (watchman is the thief) jibe at Modi to claim irregularities and favouritism in the Rafale fighter jet deal, a charge the BJP-led government has rejected.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala hit back at Modi accusing him of being the “only chowkidar who is a thief”.
“One who wears a suit worth Rs 10 lakh and who helps Bank fraudsters Modi-Mehul-Mallya, one who wasts public money to the tune of Rs 52,000 crore for his own propaganda, one who spends Rs 2,010 crore to travel to 84 countries on people’s money and one who helped in theft of Rs 30,000 crore in rafale jet deal, only one Chowkidar is a thief,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.
Also read: Why The Accidental Prime Minister matters to ‘chowkidar’ Narendra Modi
Will u stop ur spit & run policy at least after left front jettisoned ur 130 yrs old junk party
Congress President Rahul Gandhi has every right to make accusations of corruption against PM Narendra Modi but he must be ready for public scrutiny. As a citizen-voter I wish to ask a few questions to Rahul Gandhi for which I hope he will give simple and straight answers:
1. Use of black money: Will he take steps to make audit of accounts of political parties mandatory?
2. How does he wish to curb use of black money in our elections?
3. Rafale aircrafts deal: In case UPA is voted to power and he becomes PM, would the deal be cancelled, or would it be renegotiated?
4. Since Rafale aircrafts deal is just one instance of corruption in defence equipment procurement deals, would he show courage to ensure that all commission payments in such deals are disclosed?
5. It is easy to make promises about minimum income guarantee or MIG, but it is next to impossible to implement such promises. Would he find excuses not to implement the promise of MIG?
6. Would he disclose sources of his income during last ten years and why he & his mother wish to have their private control on a public property of Associated Journals Ltd.?
CHO (wkida) R.
No, I don’t agree. In fact, it gives a fitting reply to Rahul Gandhi’s slogan, “Chowkidar Chor Hai” in a positive way. Had Modi countered the slogan in any other manner, let us say by a counter-slogan “Chor Nahi Hai Chowkidar, Pappu Hai Zuta Aur Bekar”, this could have resulted in in a negative and defensive campaign. ‘MaiBhi Chowkidar”is far more assertive and positive.
It would be safe if Shri M J Akbar does not become a Chowkidar outside a working women’s hostel.