Even guards at PM's house will say "chowkidar chor hai": Rahul

Patharia (MP): Stepping up his attack on Narendra Modi, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Tuesday said even security personnel guarding the prime minister's official residence in Delhi may say the "chowkidar" (watchman) is a "chor" (thief).

Addressing a poll rally here in Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi also reiterated his allegations over the Rafale jet purchase deal.

"I can say with guarantee...if you go in front of the Race Course Road (residence of the PM) where personnel of CRPF, BSF stand with guns...and utter the word 'chowkidar' in front of them, they will respond by saying 'chor hai'.

"You go to Race Course Road in Delhi and try this..say 'chowkidar'..Probably the security personnel standing before Narendra Modi's residence would say, 'chor hai'," he said.

The Congress president said such reply was a given "because the entire country knows that Modi has waived Rs 5.55 lakh crore of 15 persons in the country in the last five years".

Gandhi has been raising the "Chowkidar Chor Hai" (Watchman is a thief) slogan to target the PM whom he accuses of being cosy with select businessmen.

He also alleged that the PM has given Rs 30,000 crore to businessman Anil Ambani through the "Rafale scam". "Modi has committed a theft of several lakh crores of your money," he said.

Gandhi asked Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath to probe the "Bundelkhand package scam".

"The then UPA government (at the Centre) had given Rs 3800 crore for development of the Bundelkhand region, but nothing happened," Gandhi said.

The Congress has been alleging irregularities in the Bundelkhand package which was released when Shivraj Singh Chouhan government was in power in MP.

While six of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh went to polls in the first phase on April 29, the other 23 constituencies will vote on May 6, 12 and 19.