Modi, without naming Rahul Gandhi, said, "At times people talk of beating me with danda (stick). But when Modi is protected by the armour of blessings provided by so many mothers and sisters, whatever be the number of sticks rained on me, nothing will happen.

 

"You have come to embrace me... this has increased my confidence," he said while addressing a rally during the 3rd Bodo Peace Accord celebrations here, about 216 km from state capital Guwahati.

 

Visibly happy at the huge gathering, which included a large number of women, Modi called it the largest rally in independent India.

 

"The political pundits will surely at some point of time say that this is the largest rally after Independence," he said.

 

Modi said that he has been coming to the region for decades. "Even after becoming the Prime Minister, I come to this region regularly. But this time the atmosphere is giving me the utmost satisfaction. I have addressed so many rallies. But never have I seen such a sea of humanity," he said. 

 

Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday had said that the youth of India will "beat him (Modi) up with a stick" given the rising unemployment in the country.

 

The former Congress President was addressing a rally in poll-bound Delhi when he said that Modi will "not be able to step out of his house in six months from now. The youth of India will beat him with sticks to make him understand that without employment, the country can never progress."

 

The Prime Minister on Thursday gave a befitting reply to Rahul Gandhi over his 'danda' jibe, saying that he would be sufficiently prepared given his pursuance of yoga in the last 20 years. He said his back has become 'danda-proof', and he will further strengthen it with more 'surya namaskars'.

 

The issue led to an uproar in the Lok Sabha on Friday, with BJP and Congress MPs getting engaged in a scuffle when Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan was making a speech condemning Rahul Gandhi's remark.