New Delhi: War of words intensified after Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “lying” over the inauguration of an ordnance unit in the Congress president’s parliamentary constituency Amethi.

Union minister Smriti Irani hit back saying Mr Gandhi is “scared” and could not see that the new facility in Korwa area of Amethi was a joint venture between India and Russia which will manufacture AK-203 rifles for armed forces.

“Prime ministerji, I had myself laid the foundation stone of the Ordinance factory in Amethi in 2010. In the last many years, small weapons are being manufactured there....You went to Amethi yesterday and spoke a lie, which you are used to doing. Are you not ashamed a bit,” Mr Gandhi asked in a tweet in Hindi.

His attack came a day after Mr Modi accused the Congress president of “lying” and ignoring the ordnance factory in Amethi, and had a dig at him, saying the rifles manufactured at the unit will be known as “Made in Amethi.”

Soon after Mr Gandhi’s tweet, the Union minister, who had unsuccessfully contested from the constituency in the 2014 general election, responded in Hindi on Twitter.

“You are scared to see development in Amethi, that you did not see what was inaugurated in Korwa was a JV. Under this agreement between India and Russia, AK-203 rifles will be manufactured,” she said, tagging Mr Gandhi in the tweet.

On Sunday, in Amethi, the Prime Minister had said that some people go around giving speeches of ‘made in Ujjain’, ‘made in Jaipur’, ‘made in Jaisalmer.’

“This is Modi. Now ‘Made in Amethi’ will be AK-203 rifles. It will help our jawans,” Mr Modi had said without mentioning the name of the Congress president.