Why has Congress now stopped talking about 'Ambani-Adani': PM Modi

Hyderabad: Mounting an attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday demanded that the party should explain to people why it has stopped raising the 'Ambani-Adani' issue as its 'Shehzada' used to do for the past five years and asked if it has struck a 'deal'.

Have "tempo loads of notes (money)" reached the Congress that it has stopped targeting "Ambani-Adani'," Modi said while addressing an election rally at Vemulawada in Telangana.

"Ever since elections have been announced, these people (Congress) have stopped abusing Ambani-Adani. I want to ask from Telangana soil, let the Shehzada announce, how much has been lifted from Ambani-Adani. Has tempo loads of notes (currency) reached the Congress? What deal has been arrived at, that abusing Ambani-Adani has stopped overnight," he asked.

"Certainly something is fishy. For five years, (they) abused Adani-Ambani and it stopped overnight. It means you have received some tempo loads of 'chori ka maal' (loot). You have to answer the nation," the Prime Minister said.

The Congress has been attacking the Modi government, accusing the Prime Minister of favouring the top five industrialists in the country, including Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani.

Addressing the rally after the third phase of general elections, Modi also said the phase has blown the third 'fuse' of Congress and its INDI Alliance.

He added four phases of polling are left and with the blessings of the people, the BJP and NDA were marching toward victory.

Attacking the Congress and K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS in Telangana, Modi said while the BJP believes in the 'nation first' principle, for the two parties it is 'family first'.

The BRS and Congress openly criticise each other on corruption, but it is a common factor between these parties, he charged.

Taking a veiled swipe at Rahul Gandhi and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, he said there is a lot of discussion up to Delhi on the "double R (RR)" tax in the state.