Stepping up his attack on Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the party and its leader Rahul Gandhi of resorting to racism citing the party’s overseas leader Sam Pitroda’s remark on the diverse ethnic backgrounds of Indians.

Drawing a parallel between South Indians with Africans and North East Indians with Chinese during an exclusive interview with The Statesman, Pitroda triggered a fresh controversy. He had said, “We could hold a country together as diverse as India, where people on the east look like Chinese, people on the West looked like Arab, people on the North look like white and may be people on the South look like Africans.”

Taking a cue from Pitroda’s unsavoury comment on the racial backgrounds of the people of India, Mr Modi said Congress’ opposition to Draupadi Murmu’s candidature for the post of president stemmed from its racist mentality.

The prime minister, who is on a whirlwind election tour in Telangana, addressed back-to-back two public meetings on Wednesday, one in Karimnagar, and another in Warangal.

Speaking at the election rally in Warangal, Mr Modi took on Rahul Gandhi, who he referred to as ‘Shahzade’, saying, “I am very angry today… Today, the Shahzada’s philosopher resorted to such a huge abuse (of Indians) that it angered me. Tell me, are you going to judge a person on the basis of his calibre or his skin colour? Who permitted the Shahzada to indulge in this game of skin colour?”

He said those who dance with the Constitution on their head “are insulting my countrymen based on their skin colour”. “Shahzade, you must reply. My country will not tolerate this kind of insult based on complexion. Neither will Modi,” he thundered.

Referring to Pitroda as Rahul’s philosopher and guide, Mr Modi said, “He (Pitroda) said those with dark skin are from Africa. That means based on skin colour they have abused so many people in the country. I read it’s based on skin colour, they thought Draupadi Murmu was also an African. So, they thought she should be defeated as she was dark skinned… Whatever may be the complexion, we are the people who worship Sri Krishna who is just like us.”

Accusing Congress of clandestine deals with businessmen like Ambani and Adani, he said, “The moment elections were announced, these people (the Opposition) stopped abusing Ambani-Adani. Now, I would like to ask from the land of Telangana let the Shahzade announce how much (money) they have extorted from Ambani-Adani? How many sacks filled with black money did you get? How many tempos laden with cash did you receive? What deals have you made to stop abusing Ambani-Adani,” he asked.

Likening Congress and the BRS to two sides of a coin, he said since both of them are linked to the same “corruption syndicate” when BRS was in power, it did not investigate the cash-for-vote case just as Congress refrained from probing the Kaleshwaram scam of the BRS.

He also accused Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of extorting money from Telangana and sending it to Delhi. “Double ‘R’ has left the hit movie ‘RRR’ far behind in terms of collections. One ‘R’ loots Telangana, and then passes it on to the other ‘R’ in Delhi. The game of the double ‘R’ will soon ruin Telangana,” Mr Modi alleged.

Alleging that the BRS and Congress handed over Hyderabad to the AIMIM on a lease, he said Congress should be wiped out from Telangana so that the Ram Mandir could be protected (against their sectarian politics).

The prime minister, who had an overnight stay at the Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad, met the family of former PV Narasimha Rao. At the rally in Karimnagar, he recounted how the Congress party meted out to the former prime minister with a raw deal. He said the grand old party did so because of its policy of family first.

It is the BJP and NDA that honoured the late prime minister with Bharat Ratna, he added