New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS): The BJP on Tuesday said Congress President Rahul Gandhi's remarks against Prime Minister Modi marked a new low in public discourse and alleged the Congress had indulged in "corruption and misgovernance" for the past 60 years to ensure that people of the country did not sleep.
"I have come to understand that Rahul Gandhi will not allow Narendra Modi to sleep. This is a new low in public discourse. Nothing better is expected from Rahul Gandhi whose party ensured the people of the country do not sleep for 60 years by corruption, malgovernance and patronage of selected people," said Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
His remarks came after Gandhi said that his and other opposition parties would not let Modi sleep till he waives farmers' loans.
Prasad also attacked Gandhi over his remarks that "chowkidar is thief."
"People of the country have given him votes to be a `chowkidar' against corruption and that 'chowkidari' will be done honestly. Whether it is Ottavio Quattrocchi or Christian Michel in some new form - our government will be a chowkidar looking over all of them," he said.
Prasad refuted Gandhi's allegation that government was running away from debate on Rafale deal, saying the Congress leader owed an apology after Supreme Court dismissed four petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into the purchase of 36 Rafale jet fighters.
"Today also we said that we are ready for a debate. We want the Congress to show some courage to debate on Rafale. In Congress cupboard, there are so many skeletons in defence purchases. We will discuss all of them openly and we will also discuss how important issues were ignored. Our allegation is that the Congress is running away from debate on Rafale."
"All your lies were uncovered by the French government and the Supreme Court. So, come forward and debate. We will look you in the eye and we are ready to debate with you on Rafale in both the Houses," Prasad said challenging the Congress.
Referring to Gandhi's concerns about farmers, he said: "The entire saga of the suffering of farmers in the Congress regime is too well-known."
On Gandhi's allegation that the government was working for the benefit of a few industrialists, Prasad said the Congress leader should not forget that fugitive industrialist Vijay Mallya was provided "loan restructuring" by the Congress-led government.
"Nirav Modi and associates and many other diamond merchants were given the benefit in 2014 in violation of model code of conduct just a week before the Modi government came to power. We all are aware how phone banking had become the order of the day by allowing loans to even non-compliant groups. This has been the sad saga of the Congress," said Prasad.