Congress, its 'naamdar' hurling abuses at me: Modi

Modi targeted Gandhi without naming him and said he did not like that the government has plugged the leaks in various welfare schemes and weeded out bogus beneficiaries.

"We put a check on Rs 90,000-crore annual rip-off in fake names in welfare schemes after implementation of Aadhaar-based identification. The 'naamdaar' did not like this," he said at a rally in Chinndwara, the home turf of state Congress chief Kamal Nath.

"He (Gandhi) is in pain. He is in trouble. What all is he saying? He is hurling all type of abuses from all dictionaries, (be it) Hindi, English... at me," the prime minister said.

The opposition party has attacked others as well, he said.

"The Congress people are hurling abuses at chaiwalas, pakodawalas, chowkidars, surgical strike, Army chief...what has become of their culture? he asked.

"Winning and losing elections is part of the game. Why have you all lost the balance (of your mind)?" he asked.

Addressing rallies in poll-bound states, Gandhi has repeatedly said "chowkidar chor hai" (the watchman is a thief) -- a jibe at Modi over the alleged Rafale fighter jet deal scam.

He said that Modi had once said that he did not want to be the country's prime minister, but its 'chowkidar' (watchman).

Modi said the "naamdar cannot do any good to his party".

He also took on the Congress chief for linking Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's son Kartikey Chouhan to the Panama Papers.

"What all are they saying? After that they say I (Gandhi) was confused," Modi said.

After Gandhi's remarks, Kartikey Chouhan filed a defamation suit against him. The Congress chief later said he took the name of the chief minister's son out of "confusion".