Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him “Prime Time Minister” for shooting for a film at Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand on the day of the Pulwama terror attack. The Congress had on Thursday claimed that Modi was shooting for a film until three hours after the attack on February 14.
“The people of India and the martyrs’ families were deep in mourning, and the prime minister was laughing at a photoshoot deep in a valley,” Gandhi tweeted. The Congress chief also attached photographs showing Modi at the Jim Corbett National Park.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari sought to know what the prime minister was doing in the two hours following the attack, PTI reported. “We want to ask the prime minister what was he doing from 3.10 pm to 5.10 pm, when you addressed a public rally in Uttarakhand through mobile phone,” Tewari said. “Either the prime minister was completely oblivious, or the prime minister was insensitive. Either the prime minister did not know for two hours that a terror attack has taken place or the prime minister knew and was completely nonchalant about it.”
“Mr prime minister, we will not let you and your government get away by playing with the security of the Indian nation,” the Congress leader added. Tewari accused the government of trying to “package high-octane jingoism to subterfuge national security failures”.
Congress leader Ahmed Patel claimed it was a matter of grave concern that Modi was “incommunicado at the time of an attack on the nation’s sovereignty”.
BJP dismisses criticism
The BJP, however, dismissed the Congress’ criticism of Modi, accusing the party of spreading fake news. “Rahul Ji, India is tired of your fake news,” the saffron party tweeted. “Stop sharing photos from that morning to shamelessly mislead the nation. Maybe you knew in advance of the attack but people of India got to know in the evening. Try a better stunt next time, where sacrifice of soldiers isn’t involved.”
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