Jamkhandi (PTI): Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday remarked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement about verbal abuse, saying one has to take such attacks in their stride in public life, and counselled him to learn from her brother Rahul Gandhi, who “is ready to take a bullet for the sake of the country”.

Targeting the Congress over its party president M Mallikarjun Kharge’s ‘venomous snake’ barb at him, Modi on Saturday said till now the party and its leaders had hurled different types of abuses at him 91 times.

At a public meeting here in Bagalkote district of Karnataka, Priyanka commenting on the PM’s statement, said: “At least they (91 abuses) are fitting on one page; if you look at the abuses by them to my family and if we start making a list, we will publish books after books about it”.

“It is strange what I’m seeing from the past two-three days. I have seen many Prime Ministers, Indira ji (Indira Gandhi), she took bullets for this country. I have seen Rajiv Gandhi, he sacrificed his life for this country. I have seen P V Narsimha Rao and Manmohan Singh working hard for this country,” she said.

“But he (Modi) is the first Prime Minister I have seen, who comes before you and cries that he is being abused. Instead of listening to your grief, he is coming here and telling you his (probems).” Mocking at Modi, she said someone in his office had made a list not about the problems of the people, but about who had abused the Prime Minister many times.

“Have courage, Modi ji. Learn from my brother Rahul Gandhi. My brother says he is ready to take a bullet for the sake of this country, not just abuse. My brother says he will stand for truth, whether you abuse, shoot a bullet or stab with a knife,” Vadra said.

“Don’t fear Modi ji, this is public life and one has to bear such things. One needs to have courage and move forward,” she said, adding, “Now that I’m talking to you, let me tell you, if you learn one more thing it will be good: listen to the voice of the people.”