People Behind 'Potato to Gold' Wanted To Defame Modi: PM Accuses LoP Rahul Gandhi in Banaskantha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused the Opposition of spreading rumours and creating panic in the country amid the ongoing war in Iran, alleging that its leaders were exploiting the crisis to target his government.

Addressing a gathering in Banaskantha, Gujarat, Modi said that while India was united in dealing with the challenges arising from the conflict, some Opposition leaders were attempting to spread misinformation and create disorder.

“These are people who want to see the country in trouble. Whenever the nation faces a crisis, they rejoice,” the Prime Minister said.

Citing the Iran war, he alleged that farmers had been misled into believing that fertilisers would become unavailable, while women and families were being made anxious about cooking gas supplies.

Modi Says Farmers Were Misled Over Fertiliser Availability

The Prime Minister said the Opposition had attempted to create panic by spreading rumours about shortages of essential commodities.

“Farmers were told that they would not get fertilisers. Sisters were scared that they would not get gas. Their plan was to spread chaos in the country so that they could defame Modi,” he said.

Reassuring farmers and households, Modi said he had promised to stand firmly with them and claimed that the government had ensured there was no shortage of fertilisers despite the ongoing conflict.

He also said that although fertiliser prices had risen significantly in the international market, the burden had not been passed on to Indian farmers.

‘₹3,000 Fertiliser Bag Sold For ₹300’: PM

Highlighting the difference between international and domestic prices, Modi claimed that a fertiliser bag costing ₹3,000 globally was being sold for ₹300 in India.

He also cited the example of Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP), saying that while its international price was above ₹5,000, it was available in India for ₹1,300.

“In a world full of uncertainty, India's rapid growth offers new hope for the entire world,” he said.

Modi Takes Dig At Rahul Gandhi Over ‘Potato-To-Gold’ Remark

The Prime Minister also referred to Rahul Gandhi’s widely circulated ‘potato-to-gold’ remark, made during a rally in Gujarat around nine years ago.

Referring to Banaskantha’s reputation for potato production, Modi said the region’s farmers would not claim that they could turn potatoes into gold because, according to him, they were already producing something valuable.

“No one from Banaskantha would say, ‘I will turn potatoes into gold.’ They would say, ‘I already make gold,’” he said.

The remark refers to a statement made by Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Patan, Gujarat. A video clip of the speech circulated widely on social media, showing Gandhi talking about a machine that could turn potatoes into gold.

However, in the full speech, Gandhi had attributed the words to Modi, saying they were not his own. The shorter clip circulated online omitted that context and became the subject of political ridicule.