'Chor' is trying to remove 'Chowkidar': PM Modi

A 'Chor' (thief) wants to remove the 'Chowkidar' (guard) from the way, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, in an apparent retort to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's oft-repeated 'Chowkidar hi chor hai' (The guard is the thief).

"When our government is taking out armed forces from their (Congress) web of conspiracies, we are now pinching into their eyes. They want to remove the watchman from their way," said Prime Minister Modi in an apparent, but a scathing attack on Gandhi.

"The thieves first and foremost try to remove the 'Chowkidar' because, without that, none of their intentions will be fulfilled," added Prime Minister Modi while addressing a public meeting here after laying the foundation of various projects.

The Prime Minister further accused the Congress party of fooling the people of the nation and congratulated Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for exposing them before the public.

"I want to congratulate Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for bringing to light those who were fooling the nation; those who were playing with the national security of the country and those who were using the Parliament for their own entertainment."

Prime Minister Modi's remark comes days after the members of Congress party on Wednesday threw paper planes when Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was speaking in the Lok Sabha during debate on the Rafale deal.

The Congress MPs did not stop even after Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan stood up and asked them to refrain from the way they were behaving, saying "Have you not made paper planes in your childhood? Why are you doing this? You demanded this discussion. So you have to listen."

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during a discussion on Rafale deal, asked why the Congress did not add even a single fighter jet during its 10 years long rule at the Centre.