Rahul likens Modi to cell phone on speaker mode
Kolar, May 7: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi by likening him to a mobile phone, saying that "Modiji uses only speaker and airplane mode and not work mode".
Gandhi's retort came in response to a query from reporters about Modi's jibe at an election rally that the Congress would be reduced to "PPP (Punjab, Puducherry and Parivar) Congress" after the Karnataka polls.
"There are three modes in a cell phone: the first is the work mode, the other two are speaker mode and airplane mode. Modiji only uses speaker and airplane mode, he never uses work mode," Gandhi said.
Gandhi, who held a protest here over rise in prices of petroleum products, alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s chief ministerial candidate in Karnataka B.S. Yeddyurappa and Reddy brothers were "most corrupt" and asked Modi why he was "shielding" them.
Gandhi also targeted Modi on issues like atrocities against Dalits, who were being "suppressed, crushed in the country". He accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological fountainhead of the BJP, of being against the progress of the Dalits.
"There is the example of Rohith Vemula. Whenever a Dalit goes towards education, wants to transform his life, the RSS and its thinking stops him," he said.
"Modiji said B.S. Yeddyurappa is their chief ministerial candidate. Yedyurappaji is the most corrupt CM that the country has ever seen. Reddy brothers are the most corrupt people that this country has ever seen. Modiji should tell why he is protecting corrupt Yedyurappaji and Reddy brothers," he said.
Gandhi also accused Modi of ignoring the farmers of the state.
"He should tell what he was doing when the farmers of Karnataka were seeking a loan waiver. The Karnataka government waived off loans of Rs 8,000 crore. Why did Modiji not contribute a single rupee?" he said asked.
He further said that Modi had not raised the Doklam issue with China during his recent visit to the neigbhouring country.
"Modiji should tell is why did he go to China. China has intruded into Doklam, it is constructing a helipad there and our PM is having tea and greeting them. He did not speak a word on Doklam," he said.
"The Congress will return to power here. Siddaramaiahji has done very good work. We will win elections," he added.
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
