The bitter war between the Congress and the BJP over Rafale deal on Tuesday saw more name-calling with the opposition party dubbing Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as a "babble blogger" and dismissing his "clown prince out-clowning himself" barb at Rahul Gandhi as "hollow rants of a court jester".
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala attacked Jaitley accusing him of "banging" the economy by his "incomprehension".
Taking to Twitter, he said the country needed a finance minister and not a "babble-blogger".
"Hollow rants of a Court Jester' - Mr Jait-Lie' won't change the truth that- You bang the truth to hide ineptitude, You bang the Rupee by your mismanagement, You bang exports by your incompetence, You bang the Economy by your incomprehension.
"India needs a FM, Not a Babble Blogger'," he said on Twitter.
In a statement, Surjewala said, "Arun Jaitley's desperation to stay relevant as a Court Jester' to Modi Sultanate' is making him stoop to a new level every day. Abuse', Diversion' & Deception' appear to be the only tools in the fake armoury."
Instead of hiding behind the cloak of expletives for the opposition, let FM coherently answer politically relevant issues, he said.
The Congress fired the fresh salvo after Jaitley on Tuesday accused its president Rahul Gandhi of "concocting" falsehood and wondered if he has a personality issue where "he lies a dozen times and then in self-delusion believes it to be true or is it a case of a Clown Prince' out-clowning himself?"
Asked about Jaitley's allegations, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said it was unfortunate that the finance minister had time only to write "meaningless blogs" and that is why the country's economy was in "bad shape".
He said the time will come when the country will render this government out of power for its ministers to have all the time to write blogs. He also said the government's functioning was "funny", where the finance minister talks about defence matters, the Railway minister about finance and the Law minister about other matters.
"We have earlier pointed out that this is a funny Government. What should be answered by the Defence Minister is answered by the Finance Minister, what should be answered by the Finance Minister is not answered by anybody. What should be answered by the Law Minister is answered by somebody who is law unto himself.
"So, this is an absolutely chaotic and a completely absurd state of affairs that rather than focusing attention on why petrol is at Rs. 82 a litre, why diesel is at Rs. 75 a litre, why the Rupee has gone through the roof, why IL&FS has collapsed, why is it that ONGC has to borrow money in order to pay salaries.
"All that the Finance Minister can do is write blogs. That is exactly what we have been saying. These people do not know how to govern. They can either criticize or write blogs. So, therefore, I think the time has come when the people of India will render them a full time blog writer," he said.
Surjewala said "political amnesia and chest thumping cannot obliterate the dismal record of dismantling India's economic progress" and claimed Jaitley's "sad legacy was depreciating rupee, ever increasing fuel prices, declining exports and extinguished savings".
Jaitley, in a Facebook post, said, "How does he (Gandhi) concoct this falsehood? At the Hindustan Times Summit, he referred to a meeting he had with me and attributed same statements to me. When asked I merely said that I can't answer hallucinations'.
"'I am in the distinguished company of President Macron. Today I feel it is much more than hallucinations. Is it a personality issue where he lies a dozen times and then in self-delusion believes it to be true or is it a case of a Clown Prince' out-clowning himself?"
On allegations made by the Congress party president on Rafale, Jaitley said the aircraft and its weaponry are not being manufactured in India at all, neither by Dassault or by any other private company.
All 36 aircraft and their weapons in a fully flyable and usable form will arrive in India, he said.
After the supplies begin, Dassault has to make purchases in India for 50 per cent of the contract value, he said.
The Congress has been attacking the government over the Rafale deal and has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of indulging in corruption and favouritism. The allegations have been denied by the government.
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