Congress says Narendra Modi is lying but dithers on setting record straight

Slamming Narendra Modi's claim that public funds were spent on travel and treatment abroad of Sonia Gandhi, Congress today said it was a "white lie" and had revealed BJP's "cheap intentions", but sidestepped questions on the expenses involved and who incurred them.

"Whatever has been said in the public space is completely untrue, false and a white lie and time will tell that what we have said today is completely true," Congress spokesman Manish Tewari told reporters when asked as to how much money was spent for the purpose and by whom.

Party general secretary Digvijay Singh hit out at Modi saying he has been trained well by RSS in the "Nazi tradition" of false propaganda and BJP's "cheap intentions" have been proved by trying to politicise a health issue.

In his posts on the microblogging site Twitter, Singh said, "Sangh trains it's cadre in disinformation campaign. Obviously Modi has been trained well! Sangh has modelled itself in the Nazi tradition.

"Sangh training to it's cadre. Jhoot bolo zor se bolo aur baar baar bolo (Tell a lie, tell it loudly and tell it hundred times). Doesn't it remind you of Hitler's Goebbels?"

Digvijay Singh said the incident "establishes the motive of BJP and Narendra Modi, their malafide cheap intentions. They want to politicise even an issue like health".

The Congress President had gone thrice abroad in last more than a year for treatment of an undisclosed ailment.

Modi and BJP today demanded that government make public information on expenses incurred on Congress president's foreign trips, a day after the Gujarat chief minister made the allegation about a large expenditure being incurred on Gandhi's foreign trips but the figures were contested by the RTI applicant who had been cited by the BJP leader.

The war of words has erupted between BJP and Congress as Gandhi is all set to virtually launch the assembly poll campaign of the party in Gujarat at a farmers' rally in Rajkot district tomorrow.

... contd.

ALSO READ

BJP bargains for UPA deal, says axe P K Bansal, Ashwani Kumar, get backing in Parliament

BJP sharpens attack on Cong, says it has turned into a party of the corrupt

Karnataka: 69% polling recorded, searing heat affects voter turnout

After high-pitch campaign, stage set for Karnataka polls tomorrow