MUMBAI: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the mimicry of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Congress leader’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event in Indore, saying Gandhi should quit politics and become a stand-up comedian.Asked about allegations that Rahul mocked Modi during the programme a day earlier, Fadnavis said, “The way Rahul Gandhi is doing mimicry, I feel he should quit the party and become a stand-up comedian.”Fadnavis said Congress had become “unemployed” because of Rahul Gandhi and added that he would at least get some work if he chose to become a comic performer, news agency PTI reported.The remarks came a day after a comedian shared the stage with Rahul Gandhi at the student-focused event in Indore and mimicked PM Modi.The incident drew criticism from BJP leaders, with Union minister Kiren Rijiju saying that Congress had become a “party of comedians and jokers”.At the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme, Rahul Gandhi had spoken about student concerns, including paper leaks, and said the event was aimed at restoring students’ faith in the education system.Fadnavis also commented on the ongoing controversy over charges on certain UPI transactions.Petrol pump operators in Mumbai have allegedly threatened to stop accepting UPI payments above Rs 2,000 from October 15 if the revised Merchant Discount Rate is not rolled back, PTI reported.Fadnavis said opposing the charges was inappropriate, arguing that UPI had expanded businesses and made transactions more transparent.He also said the fee was applicable only to specified transactions and was not imposed across the board.(With agency inputs)
