Raigarh (Chhattisgarh), Nov 15 (IANS): BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi hit out at the Congress Friday at an election rally in Chhattisgarh and said: "A tea seller is better than a prime minister who sells the nation."

Addressing a massive rally in the industrial town of Raigarh, Modi was responding to a jibe at him by Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agrawal that a tea seller can't become prime minister.

"Is it a crime to be poor, is it crime to be born from poor parents? A tea seller should be the prime minister or not, only people will decide but a tea seller is better than having a prime minister who sells the nation," Modi remarked at the rally which is dubbed one of the biggest election rallies in Raigarh district, considered a stronghold of the Congress for decades.

Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, Modi said: "By insulting the poor, you have always played with emotions of people. Shahzada (crown prince, a reference to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi) says 'I want to change the system'. Please tell me who ruled the nation for 60 years? Who put these systems in place for last 60 years? Who made them? And who spoiled them? Shahzada, your father, your grandmother and great grandfather put these systems and they only spoiled them for their own interests."

The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) poster boy criticised Congress president Sonia Gandhi for attacking BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh in her recent speech in the poll-bound state and suggested that she 'do homework' before questioning the Raman Singh government.

Modi said: "At least do your homework, madam. If you do not have information, fax Dr Raman Singh's office, and I can assure you they will provide you all the facts."

"Sonia comes here and says Maoism is increasing under Dr Raman Singh regime. You commit the sin and blame us," he remarked at the rally and said: "Congress friends, you are surviving due to goodwill of media towards you. Vajpayee's government enacted a law against terror... who destroyed that law? Sonia, your government ended POTA."

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