Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi yesterday said he could not understand Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s obsession with the main opposition party, despite his claims to have wiped the party out of India.
“On one side, Modiji says that he has wiped Congress out of India. If that is so, why he does he end
up speaking about the Congress half the time in his election rallies,” Gandhi asked at a public meeting here, reiterating that the Assembly elections in Gujarat are neither about him nor Modi but about the future of the state and Gujaratis.
Gandhi said Modi was nervous and afraid of losing the elections and so was changing his narrative every time.
“I have heard and analysed Modiji’s speeches. He devotes half the time to the Congress though Modiji claims that he has finished off the Congress.
“And he devotes the rest of the time of his speech to speak about himself,” he added.
“Where has suddenly your tall talk of development vanished? You have little to report of the last 22 years of the BJP government in Gujarat. This is why you need all this, Modiji,” Gandhi said.
Gandhi slammed Modi, saying his words had ceased to carry weight since he was lying through the teeth on the promises made to Gujarat and the country.
The Congress leader recalled how Modi had promised during the 2014 Lok Sabha election to bring back black money stashed abroad and then deposit Rs1.5mn into each Indian’s bank account.
“Narendra Modi had said you will get Rs15 lakh in your bank accounts, you did not get even 15 paise,” Gandhi said.
The Congress vice president asked the people if they saw anyone “suited and booted” standing in queues to deposit money in the wake of last year’s demonetisation.
“Through the back door, the money of all the thieves in India was converted into white right under Modiji’s nose.”
Gandhi also said that Modi had promised in his election speeches of 2014 to create 20mn jobs every year and to ensure that farmers get the right returns for their produce.
“Is this happening?” Gandhi asked loudly. In response, the crowds roared back: “No, no.”
“The prime minister’s words should carry weight. Modiji’s words no longer carry any weight because he has been lying through the teeth on every promise he made,” Gandhi added to cheers.
He also said that although Modi used foul language against him, he would never resort to such language.
“The prime minister uses foul language against me but I will never do that because Rahul Gandhi respects the office of prime minister.
“I am not going to utter a single word against the prime minister. This is what our party, Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel have taught us.”
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah accused the Congress of indulging in “politics of caste and appeasement”, and said the opposition party’s decision to support Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani was a pre-planned move to take elections towards this purpose.
He alleged that the Congress “must be aware of Mewani’s links with the Popular Front of India (PFI) that has been found indulging in anti-national activities”, and that is why it did not give Mewani its own party symbol but “supported him from outside”.
“Rahul Gandhi meets Jignesh Mewani and leaves one seat for him, that is, the Congress does not field its candidate on Vadgaon Assembly seats in Banaskantha district. I believe there can’t be any better example of vote bank politics than this,” Shah said.
He said that the BJP is contesting elections “only on development plank”.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is garlanded by supporters during an election campaign ahead of the second phase of Gujarat state Assembly elections, in Dakor, yesterday.
