Congress attacks Narendra Modi, BJP over 'chai pe charcha with NaMo' programme

NEW DELHI: Attacking Narendra Modi over his much-hyped tea stall interaction programme, Congress today accused BJP and its Prime Ministerial candidate of hypocrisy, saying it had spent Rs 200 to 250 crore on the event but was opposing the Street Vendors Bill in Parliament.

"An estimated sum of Rs 200 to 250 crore was spent on a programme of Modi. Could this money not be spent in a better manner to directly benefit the same people?

"There is another contradiction and paradox. On the one hand, he is giving lectures to tea vendors. On the other hand, BJP and NDA obstructed the Street Vendors Bill in Rajya Sabha yesterday, which directly affects the working classes, including a large number of tea vendors. This exposes the real face of BJP," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters at the AICC briefing.

Milking 'chai wala' barb against him for all its worth, Modi yesterday interacted with the common man across 1,000 places through video, sipping tea and attacking Congress over governance and black money.

At his interaction with people as part of the much-hyped ' Chai pe charcha with NaMo' (a discussion over tea with Modi), he answered to questions from the public from across the country on the theme of good governance.

The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2013 has got a push after Rahul Gandhi's recent assurance that he would strive to see its passage in the current session.

The bill was listed in Rajya Sabha both yesterday and today, but could not be taken up due to disruptions in the House.