Lucknow/New Delhi, May 21 -- Leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah as traitors, triggering an avalanche of criticism from the ruling BJP, which said the remarks were born out of frustration over electoral losses. At a programme in his Lok Sabha constituency Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, Gandhi said Modi, Shah and the BJP's ideological font, the Rashtriya Sawayemsevak Sangh (RSS), are "attacking the Constitution" every day and have "sold the country's interests" to select industrialists. Wrapping up the speech, he told the crowd: "When you go back home, when these RSS workers come to you, they will talk about Narendra Modi, they will talk about Amit Shah. You look them in the face and say, 'Your Prime Minister is a traitor, your home minister is a traitor, your organisation is a traitor. You have worked to sell out India. You have attacked our organisation, our Constitution, BR Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi.' Tell them this." Later addressing an event in Amethi, Gandhi referred to his remarks made in Raebareli. "I had said that Modi and Amit Shah are traitors. If someone weakens and destroys our Constitution, then what else should they be called if not traitors?" In the Rae Bareli programme, Gandhi unveiled a statue of Veera Pasi, a heroic troop commander from the region who fought the British in the First War of Independence in 1857. Gandhi said the prime minister is "attacking the Constitution 24 hours a day" by weakening MNREGA, not conducting caste census, and favouring select industrialists. Alleging that the RSS is influencing appointments in universities, Gandhi also reiterated the warning of an impending "economic storm" that he had made a day earlier. BJP leaders, ministers and chief ministers hit out at Gandhi for the remarks. Party president Nitin Nabin said, "Rahul Gandhi's behaviour reflects his frustration and despair, born out of continuous electoral defeats." "...Whenever Congress was in power, there was corruption. Today, the BJP government has a policy of zero tolerance for corruption. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, terrorism has also been curbed. Rahul Gandhi should explain, is eliminating Naxalism treachery and securing the nation's land treachery? Is enhancing the honor of India's tricolor across the world treachery?" Nabin questioned. In a post on X, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath called for an apology from Gandhi, saying, "The unbridled remarks made by the Congress's 'Crown Prince' expose his negative brand of politics, his lack of restraint in thought, and his disregard for democratic values."...