Amit Shah condemns Rahul Gandhi's 'panauti' jibe at PM Modi, calls it 'below the belt language'

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticised Rahul Gandhi's recent 'panauti' remark aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing it as 'below the belt'.

During a press conference, Shah expressed confidence that the public would respond fittingly in the forthcoming assembly elections.

Shah emphasised that whenever derogatory language had been used against the Prime Minister in the past, voters across various states had responded decisively. He believed that the voters in Telangana would similarly react to this kind of language in the upcoming elections.

The term 'panauti,' a Hindi slang, loosely translates to someone who brings bad luck.

Rahul Gandhi had employed the 'panauti' jibe against PM Modi during an election rally in Rajasthan. The comment stemmed from PM Modi's attendance at the World Cup cricket final, which India lost to Australia after a streak of 10 consecutive wins in the tournament.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also criticised Rahul Gandhi's remarks, labelling them as 'despicably poor.' Sitharaman accused Gandhi of continuing the Congress tradition of using derogatory terms against the Prime Minister.