Sambit Patra calls Rahul Gandhi 'jhoothon ka sardaar'

"People of India are intelligent. They know how to differentiate between a liar and a performer. While we have a liar in Rahul Gandhi, we have a performer in PM Modi," Patra said.

BJP leader Sambit Patra on Thursday held a press conference in Delhi and called Congress leader Rahul Gandhi 'jhoothon ka sardaar'. He said that Rahul Gandhi was spreading rumours about PM Narendra Modi's statement on Muslims and NRC. Patra clarified that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that after NRC no Muslims will be kept in a detention camp.

"The Prime Minister had said that there is no such detention camp in which Muslims of India will be placed after NRC. This is a rumour which is being spread. The Prime Minister has not lied," said Patra.

Patra claimed that the people know the difference between a liar and a performer. "People of India are intelligent. They know how to differentiate between a liar and a performer. While we have a liar in Rahul Gandhi, we have a performer in PM Modi," he said.

He said that there is no connection between the setting up of detention centres and NRC. "There is no connection between setting up detention centres and NRC. Detention centre is for foreigners who are in India illegally and to ensure they do not vanish. This is just a confinement centre to control his/her movement," he said.

He revealed that as per a data from UPA government's 'White Paper on Foreigner's Issue' that was published in 2012. The UPA Govt in 2012 had asked the Assam government under Tarun Gogoi's chief ministership to set up detention centres. Three detention centres were opened in Golpara, Kokrajhar and Silchar. The number of foreigners kept in them are as follows; Golpara: 66, Kokrajhar: 32, Silchar: 20.

Patra also raised objections to Rahul Gandhi's tweet calling PM Modi "Prime minister of RSS". Rahul Gandhi had tweeted in Hindi, "The Prime Minister of the RSS lies to Mother India."

Former Congress chief attached an edited clip of PM Modi's speech delivered at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Sunday, along with a media report on a detention centre being constructed in Assam. Rahul Gandhi had also added the hashtag #JhootJhootJhoot (Lies, Lies, Lies) with his tweet. Notably, the Prime Minister's statement on citizens' list has been strongly questioned by the opposition.