Ridiculing Rahul Gandhi, BJP's prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi Sunday said that for the Congress vice president, poverty was a "matter of fun" as he had never experienced any such thing in his life.
"Those born with a golden spoon don't know what poverty is. Just as those who have not seen Taj Mahal, go with friends and relatives to see it, similarly Rahul goes to see poverty. For him, poverty is like tourism," Modi said at a rally here.
"Because he wonders what poverty is, he goes to see poverty and takes along the media. For him, the poor are only a means to gain votes."
On Gandhi's statement that poverty was a "state of the mind", Modi said: "For Rahul, talking about poverty is fun and happiness."
"But when I think of poverty, I spend sleepless nights, I feel restless," Modi said, drawing a comparison between Gandhi and himself.
"The difference between you (Gandhi) and I is, for me India is mother, for you, as you have said earlier, it is a honey bee.
"For us, India is matribhoomi (motherland). For you, India is matra bhoomi (mere land)," the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said.