New Delhi, Feb 2 (PTI) Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi who accused Sonia Gandhi of insulting President Droupadi Murmu, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday said the attempt to make it an election issue was an insult to people struggling with problems of inflation and unemployment.

Addressing a public meeting in Seemapuri here, Priyanka Gandhi said Prime Minister Modi and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal are alike and both are "slaves of these big industrialists".

The Congress general secretary slammed Modi for raising the issue of Sonia Gandhi's remarks about Murmu after the President's address to a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on Friday.

"Modi ji that day said about my mother that she had insulted the President. What kind of issue did they raise? One elderly woman is expressing her sympathy for another elderly woman, saying that 'bechari Rashtrapati ji thak gayi hongi ek ghante ka bhashan unko padhna pada (President would have been tired as she was made to read out an address for an hour)'.

"They attempted to make this an election issue, saying it is an insult. You are insulting the people of the country who are struggling due to inflation and unemployment, they are not getting pensions and safai karamcharis are troubled, and you are talking about these useless things," she said.

Priyanka Gandhi urged the people to force leaders to talk about real issues. Soon after the President delivered her address, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were seen discussing the speech in the Parliament complex.

"The poor lady, the President, was getting very tired by the end... She could hardly speak, poor thing," Sonia Gandhi was purportedly heard saying in a video clip doing the rounds of social media.

Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress, accusing its "shahi parivar" of insulting President Murmu, who hails from a tribal background, and demanding an apology.

In her remarks at the rally in favour of party candidate Rajesh Lilothia, Priyanka Gandhi said, "The government has imposed GST on everything. Everything is expensive." She said GST has been imposed on children's school dress, socks, shoes, saree, bindi and copy-books. Petrol and diesel are expensive and there is inflation everywhere in the country, she said.

"Yesterday when the Budget was announced, there was no discussion on inflation, not a word was mentioned in the Budget speech," she said.

Priyanka Gandhi said her father Rajiv Gandhi used to go among the people and get scolded for work not being completed and asked if such a thing could be done with the current prime minister.

"Try and scold PM Modi and you will be put in jail. I have seen in UP some 'mahila mitrs' were beaten up for demonstration," Priyanka Gandhi said.

She said these are the times of today and this is not the country's nature.

"We fought unitedly to attain independence. What were these people who belong to Modi's ideology?" she said.

The Congress MP from Wayanad said someone was writing a letter from jail to get themselves freed. "'Bring us out of the jail, we will do as you say we are your slaves'. Someone was helping the British.

"They did not fight for your Independence and, therefore, they are unable to understand the nature of this country," Priyanka Gandhi said, slamming the BJP and the RSS.

The day the people of the country wake up, these people will not last long in power, she said.

"Why do we keep talking about the Constitution? (Because) this is your protective shield, this has given you equal rights, you have the same vote as the PM, this gives you reservation, this gives you strength. Therefore, protect this Constitution and in turn, it will protect you," she said.

Hitting out at Kejriwal, Priyanka Gandhi said his politics emerged from the assertion that "I am honest and everyone is a thief". Beware of those who say so, Priyanka Gandhi said.

"Kejriwal came based on honesty but what happened? The liquor scam took place," she said.

"Modi ji said we are honest and these Congress people are thieves. What honesty has he shown in the last 10 years. He handed over the entire resources of the country to Adani-Ambani," she alleged.

Priyanka Gandhi alleged that whether it is Kejriwal or Modi, they are slaves of these big industrialists. Modi talks about "sheesh mahal". For the BJP, it has become a major issue that Kejriwal built a "sheesh mahal" for himself and for AAP leaders, Modi made a "raj mahal".

"When Covid was going on, Modi ji carried out beautification of this Parliament area worth 20,000 crore. We were saying Parliament is fine, India Gate is fine but they still did it. On one hand, there is sheesh mahal and on the other hand there is raj mahal," she said.

She said on the issue of women's safety, the BJP ridiculed Sheila Dikshit. "Are women safe under their rule?" she asked.

Priyanka Gandhi said Kejriwal spends Rs 450 crore on propaganda and asked whose money is this.

"This is your money. If Modi is spending crores of rupees in propaganda, whose money is this? He says 'jhola le ke chala jaaunga'... that time is coming slowly," she said.

She said while Modi keeps blaming India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Kejriwal blames Modi but do not take responsibility.

"They (Modi and Kejriwal) are the same. They talk about honesty, do no work, hand over resources to industrialists and spend crores on propaganda," she said. PTI ASK KSS KSS