PM Modi : Parties "discarded by people" spreading lies

The BJP's problems are not because it is "wrong", but it has turned out a favourite of the people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today. This has pushed the party's political rivals to retaliate with a web of lies "through their ecosystem", he said amid countrywide protests against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Registry of Citizens or the NRC.

"In electoral politics, those whom the people have discarded, those whose words the people won't accept -- there are very few weapons left for them. One of them is to spread lies, rumours," PM Modi said at the party headquarters this evening as JP Nadda replaced Amit Shah as the party chief.

These opponents, PM Modi said, "talk such talks that add colour and a shape and spread rumours through their ecosystem. We see this regularly".