Teleprompters tell PM not to speak of jobs, Rs 15 lakh: Rahul

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's teleprompters tell him not to speak about unfulfilled election promise of jobs and depositing Rs 15 lakh in bank account of every Indian, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said Friday.

Addressing a poll rally here, Gandhi also said Modi is now afraid of uttering the word 'chowkidar' as he knows what follows next.

"You have heard Modi's speech. He used to talk about (his) 56-inch chest. What is happening now? It is clearly written on the teleprompters that Modi ji, don't talk about (the 2014 poll promises of) employment (generation) and giving Rs 15 lakh (to each Indian) even by mistake, else it can damage (the partys prospects)," he said.

A teleprompter is a display device that prompts the person speaking with an electronic visual text of a speech or script.

Modi is known to speak extempore at political meetings but was seen using teleprompters at some poll rallies. The machines were not visible in the television frame.

"Congress people have promised to give Rs 3.60 lakh (in five years, under the Nyay scheme) to the poor. Therefore, Modi now speaks with hesitation," Gandhi said.

The prime minister has become the "chowkidar" of the rich and gave them people's money, Gandhi said. "Modi became chowkidar of (industrialists) Adani, Ambani, Lalit Modi, Nirav Modi," he added.

The country, on the other hand, expected him to become "chowkidar" of farmers, labourers, small shopkeepers and weaker sections of society, the Congress chief said.

"The Election Commission told me not to say the word 'chowkidar'. Because whenever you say 'chowkidar', people reply with 'chor hai' (is a thief)," he said.

"Is this my fault? I simply use the word chowkidar."