Gap between 'rhetoric and reality' increased in last 5 years: Tharoor

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the latter should look at the ground reality as the gap between 'rhetoric and reality' has increased in the past five years.

"The important thing is when Prime Minister says Congress was too busy in looking at the sky than the ground reality. I would say that the truth is opposite. We all know about the ground realities in the past five years. Unemployment is 45 years high, farmers attempting suicide because agriculture is in distress. These are the problem we are facing. If you look at the ground reality the gap between rhetoric and reality is high," Tharoor said while speaking to ANI after Modi's address in the Lok Sabha.

Tharoor made the statement in response to Modi's remarks in the Lok Sabha where he accused Congress of not connecting with the grassroots.

"You are riding high. I congratulate you. You can't see properly from a height, people on the ground look small. We do not believe in being on a high. We believe in connecting with the grassroots," he said targetting Congress party over family politics.

Tharoor rejected Prime Minister's remarks and said, "Modi and the BJP have never given credit to Congress for anything. Today he (Modi) Chose to say that we (Congress) do not give due credit to the BJP and its leaders. The truth is Prime Minister's criticism of Congress is not accurate." (ANI)

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