"Arey daro mat...": PM Modi mocks Rahul Gandhi after he files nomination for the LS elections from Rae Bareli, abandoning Amethi

Invoking his earlier statement that Rahul Gandhi might have to seek another seat to contest after the casting of votes in Kerala's Wayanad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday tore into the former over his candidature from his mother's old seat, Raebareli, saying he bolted from the seat down South as he did in Amethi in 2019.

Addressing a mega rally in the Purba Bardhaman district on Friday, PM Modi said, "There's no need for an opinion poll or exit poll...I said this much earlier. I predicted on the floor of Parliament two months ago that their (Congress') biggest leader (Sonia Gandhi) would stand down from contesting these elections. And just as I had foreseen, she (resigned as the Raebareli MP and) took a seat in the Rajya Sabha from Jaipur."

"I also told you earlier that the Shehzaada would start looking for another safe seat for himself, fearing defeat in Wayanad. He was so afraid after losing Amethi in 2019 that he bolted all the way down South, to Wayanad. Now, he has escaped to Raebareli. These people often go around telling people, 'Daro maat' (don't be afraid). It's now my turn to say the same to them--'Arey daro maat, bhaago maat' (don't be afraid! don't flee!)," he added.

In an earlier campaign rally, PM Modi claimed Rahul would have to 'run away' from Wayanad "like he did in Amethi."

Reiterating his 'three challenges' for the Congress and the combined Opposition, PM Modi said, "I challenge the Congress and its INDI allies to give a written statement that they will not amend the Constitution based on religion, that they will not take away the reservations of SCs, STs and OBCs and give it to a certain community, that in states where they are in power, they will not take away reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs and give it to people on the basis of faith. It's been 10 days since I threw these challenges at them and still haven't responded. They want to punish you but as long as I am alive, I wouldn't let that happen."

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination from Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli Lok Sabha constituency on Friday.

Rahul was accompanied by Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and her husband and businessman Robert Vadra.

Earlier in the day, Congress announced Rahul Gandhi as the party candidate from Raebareli, the seat vacated recently by his mother Sonia Gandhi when she became a member of Rajya Sabha.

(ANI inputs)