BJP hits out at Gandhi over remarks against Modi

The BJP Thursday hit back at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi over his jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that his voice is not heard within his own party.

Bharatiya Janata Party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the Congress had not been able to accept the verdict of the people in the last Lok Sabha elections.

"People of the country are feeling proud over the change that has come about (since Modi government took office)," Naqvi said.

Gandhi told reporters in Amethi that Modi was playing the drums in Japan while people in the country were battling power cuts, price rise and lack of roads and water supply.

He said the BJP had made tall promises on issues such as price rise in the run-up to the general elections but there is no action on the ground after it came to power.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu dismissed Gandhi's remarks.

"His voice is not heard by his own party, why should we listen," Naidu said here replying to a query from reporters.

BJP spokesperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam said Rahul Gandhi "should be aware of facts" as the NDA government had taken effective steps to check price rise.

"He is a senior leader. He should show responsibility," Kumaramangalam said.

She said Gandhi has to answer for the poor condition of roads and power in his constituency which he has been representing for the past 10 years.

BJP leader S.P. Jain said problems concerning water and power were legacies of the previous United Progressive Alliance government.