Real and certified 'chaiwala' is with us, Rajnath Singh takes dig at Priyanka Gandhi

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday (March 23) took a dig at Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and said that people who mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling him a “chaiwala” are today selling and plucking tea leaves. 

Calling the PM “real and certified chaiwala”, Singh was quoted as saying by ANI, “Earlier our PM was mocked by being called 'chaiwala'. Today the same people are selling and plucking tea leaves. The real 'chaiwala' has brought them to tea gardens. But be careful, real and certified 'chaiwala' is with us.”

During her campaigning in Assam on March 2, Priyanka Gandhi had mingled with tea garden workers in Biswanath. Congress' Twitter handle had also shared Vadra's pictures plucking tea leaves and interacting with the workers. 

Addressing an election rally in Assam’s Lumding, Singh urged everyone to avoid politics over illegal immigration. He also said that the BJP has set up electronic surveillance across the Indo-Bangla border in Assam to stop infiltration from the neighbouring country. 

"We will not allow politics over illegal immigration. Assamese culture and identity will be protected. If we had any bad intention, we would not have conferred Bharat Ratna on Dr Bhupen Hazarika," PTI quoted the senior BJP leader as saying. He also said that BJP will take steps to make Assam flood-free. 

Meanwhile, the BJP released its manifesto for Assam on Tuesday (March 23) and made "ten commitments" for an 'Atmanirbhar Assam'. 

Assam will go to polls in three phases beginning from March 27 for 126 Assembly seats. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. 

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