Rahul Gandhi said that though PM Modi calls himself “a nationalist”, he had weakened the country.
Bhagalpur (Bihar):
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday took a dig at the BJP’s election pledge of creating 19 lakh jobs in Bihar, saying that it was similar to that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2014 campaign promise of bringing back black money stashed abroad and depositing Rs 15 lakh in the bank accounts of the people.
Addressing an election rally in Bihar’s Bhagalpur, Mr Gandhi alleged that PM Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar “broke the backbone” of the farmers and medium and small businesses in the state with their policies.
“Don’t lie to Biharis, Modi ji. Did you give jobs to Biharis? Last elections, PM promised 2 crores jobs, no one got them. In public, he says I bow my head to army, farmers, labourers and traders. But once he reaches home, he only works for Ambani and Adani,” Mr Gandhi said.
He said that though PM Modi calls himself “a nationalist”, he had weakened the country over the last six years. “Economy is suppressed and farmers oppressed,” Mr Gandhi added.
The Congress parliamentarian addressed a series of rallies in Bihar on Friday for polls next week, targeting PM Modi over the migrant crisis during the coronavirus lockdown and Chinese aggression at the border.
Before Bhagalpur, Rahul Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, the leader of the opposition alliance, addressed a joint rally at Nawada. Their campaign coincided with PM Modi’s first day of rallies in Bihar with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Picking on PM Modi’s comment at a rally on “bowing before young soldiers who had died for the country at Galwan Valley”, the Congress leader accused the Prime Minister of failing to protect Indian Territory from Chinese incursions.
“The PM lied by saying China did not enter our territory. Where was the PM when our jawans died?”
Speaking on the crisis of lakhs of migrants forced to walk to their states after losing their homes and jobs in the coronavirus lockdown, Mr Gandhi said: “He says he bows before mazdoors (labourers) but when they really need him, he does nothing. You kept walking, thirsty and hungry, for thousands of km, but Modi ji did not give you trains. The (government) said you die, I don’t care.”
This, he said, was the reality and Bihar would finally know it.
“Bihar will give a fitting reply to Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi. Modi-ji will get the sahi jawaab (the correct answer).”
Bihar votes on October 28, November 3 and 7 for a new government and the results will be announced on November 10.
(With inputs from PTI)
