New Delhi: Narendra Modi may have chosen "bail" as his word for the day, punning on the Hindi expression for bullock-cart to taunt the Congress, but it was another B-word that grabbed attention: Black.

The forced absence of the colour from the Prime Minister's rally in Jaipur on Saturday raised the question: Is Modi afraid of protests?

Men wearing black shirts, trousers or even vests told television channels they had been barred entry to the rally venue because of the colour of their clothes.

It's not clear who took the decision, but there have been past media reports too of people in black - seen as the colour of protest - not being allowed at Modi's rallies.

Modi's security team is known to be careful. As far back as 2012, when he was still Gujarat chief minister, Modi had addressed a meeting from behind a net after a spate of shoe attacks on other political leaders.

Days ago, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had poked fun at Modi, without naming him, in a tweet: "2014, HE said: I will bring back all the 'BLACK' money in Swiss Banks & put 15 Lakhs in each Indian bank A/C. 2016, HE said: Demonetisation will cure India of 'BLACK' money. 2018, HE says: 50% jump in Swiss Bank deposits by Indians, is 'WHITE' money. No 'BLACK' in Swiss Banks!"

Perhaps this was the trigger for an overzealous minder to decide to black out black altogether from the rally where the Prime Minister addressed beneficiaries of schemes announced by his government.

Rajasthan's BJP-led government had spent over Rs 7 crore to ferry to the venue an estimated 2.5 lakh people said to have benefited from the welfare schemes of the Modi government.

Modi told the rally the BJP believed only in " vikas" (development). "We have fulfilled our promise to hike the support price of crops," he said and promised to double farmers' income by 2022.

The government had on Wednesday raised the minimum price for paddy by Rs 200 to Rs 1,750 per quintal.

"Some people have started calling the Congress 'bail- gadi' as several high-profile leaders and former ministers of the party are out on bail," he said, the taunt coming on the day Shashi Tharoor received regular bail in the Sunanda Pushkar death case.

Modi again brought up the 2016 surgical strikes to attack the Congress. "It is unfortunate that our political opponents committed the sin of raising questions about the army's capabilities," he said.

Rajasthan, which votes later this year, sends a large number of people to the army.

Modi said the Centre and the BJP-ruled states were focused only on "development, development and development", and people who never appreciated the work done by BJP governments should see how happy the beneficiaries at the rally were.

As for the men in black, they were resigned to sitting the rally out and returning home without hearing Modi speak, they told television channels.