PM Modi's very long recent interview scripted: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader on Wednesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's justification of implementing electoral bonds, calling it the "biggest extortion scheme in the world".

Rahul called Modi's recent hour-long interview to a news agency "scripted" and "flop show", and countered the prime minister's claim that the scheme ensured transparency in party funding.

He made these remarks in a joint press conference held in Ghaziabad along with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Criticising the now-scrapped electoral bonds, Gandhi said the prime minister claims that the scheme was brought to bring transparency in poll funding but then why was it struck down by the Supreme Court.

"A few days ago, the Prime Minister gave a very long interview to ANI. It was scripted, but it was a flop show. The Prime Minister tried to explain electoral bonds in it. The Prime Minister says that the system of electoral bonds was brought for transparency, to clean politics. If this is true then why was that system cancelled by the Supreme Court."

"And secondly, if you wanted to bring transparency then why did you hide the names of those who gave money to BJP. And why did you hide the dates on which they gave you the money?... This is the biggest extortion scheme in the world.

Gandhi said there is a strong undercurrent in favour of the opposition INDIA bloc in the Lok Sabha elections and the BJP will be limited to 150 seats.

Yadav said the winds of change will start blowing from Ghaziabad in western Uttar Pradesh to Ghazipur and the BJP will be given a grand farewell in the Lok Sabha elections.

"We have to ensure that not a single vote is divided in the Lok Sabha polls," Yadav said.

The SP and the Congress are fighting the Lok Sabha polls in alliance in Uttar Pradesh. The Congress is fighting on 17 seats while the SP and some other allies are contesting the remaining 63 seats in the politically crucial Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha.

The seven-phase Lok Sabha polls will begin on April 19 and the counting of votes will be taken up on June 4.

Also read | Won't get involved in the matter: US on Modi's 'ghar mein ghuske maarenge' remarks