Rahul Gandhi slams PM Modi as 'Puppet King' of 'Tempo Billionaires'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, branding him a "puppet king" controlled by "tempo billionaires". The remarks came as a sharp response to Modi's recent allegations about the Congress allegedly receiving illicit funds from industrialists Adani and Ambani.

Sharing excerpts from his speech at an event in Lucknow on Friday, the former Congress president reiterated his criticism of Modi's governance during a post on X. In his address, Gandhi accused Modi of undermining the Constitution, asserting that the Prime Minister operates more like a monarch than an elected leader.

"Narendra Modi is not a prime minister, he is a king. A 'puppet king' whose strings are in the hands of 'tempo billionaires'," Gandhi declared in his post on X in Hindi.

During the Lucknow event, Gandhi continued his barrage against Modi, proclaiming, "Modi ji is a king... He is not the prime minister, he is a king. He has nothing to do with the Cabinet, Parliament or the Constitution. He is the king of the 21st century and is the front for two or three financiers who have the real power."

The confrontation intensified after Modi's accusations at a recent rally, where he insinuated a questionable deal between the Congress and major industrialists. Modi's rhetoric challenged the Congress to explain why they ceased their previous attacks on "Ambani-Adani" collaborations, insinuating a possible agreement.

In a dramatic reversal, Modi demanded transparency from the Congress, questioning whether they had received "tempo loads of black money" from these industrialists to cease their criticism. This shift in narrative, previously employed by the Congress to scrutinise Modi's government, now puts the party on the defensive.

Responding to the allegations, Gandhi and other Congress leaders have called for a thorough investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the alleged financial transactions between the party and Adani and Ambani.