NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has taken a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi by indirectly saying that Modi's presence in the Narendra Modi stadium was the reason behind India's defeat at the World Cup final. He said this while campaigning at Rajasthan's Barmer on Monday.

During the election rally, someone from the crowd shouted the term 'Panauti' (unfortunate, bad omen). After hearing this, Rahul mocked the Prime Minister.

"Yes, Panauti. Our guys were playing well, they would have won the World Cup. But 'Panauti' made us lose. The TV guys won't tell you this but people know," Rahul said without naming Modi.

पनौती 😉 pic.twitter.com/kVTgt0ZCTs

— Congress (@INCIndia) November 21, 2023

After Rahul Gandhi's remarks became controversial, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came out seeking an apology from the Congress leader.

Lok Sabha MP Ravi Shankar Prasad questioned the usage of such a word for the Prime Minister and asked Wayanad MP to apologise.

"What happened to you, Rahul Gandhi? You are using such words for the Prime Minister of the country. Our Prime Minister met the players and motivated them. Winning or losing is part of the game. Rahul Gandhi needs to apologise," he said.