Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday twisted out of context Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that he worked for a select few corporate houses instead of India’s masses to project it as an insult to the motherland.

At a rally in Sikar in poll-bound Rajasthan two hours after Rahul had made the allegations, Modi said the Congress’s “naamdar” (dynast) had insulted the motherland by issuing a “fatwa” that the Prime Minister should not chant “Bharat Mata ki jai”.

Modi made the crowd chant Bharat Mata ki jai 10 times and said: “By doing so, I have torn apart the fatwa issued by the Congress naamdar who asked me not to use this slogan. You and me get special energy, special enthusiasm while chanting Bharat Mata ki jai, but I don’t know why the Congress naamdar detests this. What is his problem in hearing jaikar (hailing) of Bharat Mata? Who is he to commit the sin of snatching this favourite slogan from the mouth of India’s sons?”

Rahul, however, had made a venerable reference to Bharat Mata and criticised Modi for alleged crony capitalism.

At a rally in Rajasthan’s Alwar, the Congress chief had said: “Modi begins his speeches with Bharat Mata ki jai. What is Bharat Mata? Farmers, youths, workers, women — we all combine to make Bharat Mata. The people of the country make Bharat Mata. But Modi works for Anil Ambani. He waived corporate loans worth Rs 3.5 lakh crore, but refused to help the farmers.”

Rahul added: “Are farmers not part of Bharat Mata? Poor, toiling people are not Bharat Mata? The meaning of Bharat Mata ki jai is to respect and serve her people. Modi should instead say — Anil Ambani ki jai, Nirav Modi ki jai, Mehul Choksi ki jai.”

Modi accused Rahul of being “hell bent on insulting Mother India”.

“What is Mother India for you is your concern, but for me Bharat Mata is everything…. Your culture is ‘Indira is India and India is Indira’. You prefer Sonia Mata ki jai instead of Bharat Mata ki Jai,” the Prime Minister said.

Modi’s attempt to distort the debate appeared to have rattled Rahul who felt compelled to respond at a rally in Udaypur later in the evening.

“The Prime Minister responded to my speech within two hours. I have been for the past six months asking questions about the Rafale deal in every single meeting of mine but there was no response. I have said he stole Rs 30,000 crore and gave it to Ambani. No answer. I asked why HAL was ousted? I asked why pay Rs 1,600 crore for a plane negotiated already for Rs 526 crore? Not a word. Never.”

Rahul stuck to his guns on Bharat Mata, asserting: “What is Bharat Mata if not the struggling farmers, toiling labours, aspiring youths and women? Why are you silent on farmers’ suicide? Why do you work for Ambani, listen only to the corporate voice?”