Cong's patronage to infiltrators is 'gaddari': Piyush Goyal hits back at Rahul's 'traitors' remark

Union Minister Piyush Goyal claims Prime Minister Narendra Modi's five-nation tour has yielded "concrete outcomes" for India, while criticising Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for calling Modi a "traitor".

Union minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's five-nation tour has yielded ''concrete outcomes'' for the benefit of everyone in the country and slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for calling the prime minister a ''traitor''.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, Goyal listed the outcomes of the prime minister's just-concluded visit to the UAE, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy, and said Modi has returned with ''something or the other'' for every section in India.

Be it strengthening the country's energy security, defence sector or attracting foreign investments and increasing exports, the prime minister's foreign visit has yielded ''big outcomes'' for the benefit of various sectors, Goyal said.

During his five-day foreign tour, the prime minister was also conferred three international awards, he added.

''On the one hand, the entire world looks upon Prime Minister Modi with immense confidence, on the other, Rahul Gandhi, who has a negative mindset, repeatedly reveals his true nature and character through his words and language,'' he added.

Goyal said Gandhi stooping to hurling abuses at the prime minister in an ''extremely petty language'' is ''truly deplorable''.

''Tell me, is the ending of Naxalism an act of 'gaddari (betrayal)' or was allowing Naxalism to fester for years under the Congress rule the true act of 'gaddari'? Would we label the act of enhancing the global prestige of the tricolour as 'gaddari'?.

''Or, would we consider it 'gaddari' when one travels abroad only to disparage India's tricolour?'' the senior BJP leader asked.

Continuing in the same breath, the minister asked, ''Would breaking the back of terrorism, delivering a befitting reply to it be considered 'gaddari' or should the act of feeding biryani to terrorists and striking compromises with them be deemed 'gaddari'?'' he added.

Goyal said Modi has kept the country secure which reflects his ''true patriotism''.

''The way the Congress party and the Gandhi family provide patronage to infiltrators, that is 'gaddari','' he added.

Gandhi had on Wednesday called Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the RSS ''traitors'' while launching an attack on them on various issues at an event in his Lok Sabha constituency of Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh.

''Abuses are the weapon of the weak. Clearly, the country is now witnessing the weaknesses of Rahul Gandhi and the Gandhi family, as well as the failures of the Congress party,'' he said.

People of the country are also witnessing how India has become the fastest-growing economy in the world and its global stature has also risen under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, he added.

Goyal alleged that Gandhi keeps abusing the prime minister out of grudge and frustration because his party has been rejected by the people repeatedly.