Rahul attacks PM at Jan Akrosh rally
New Delhi, Apr 29 (PTI) Congress president Rahul Gandhi today launched a fusillade on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government, questioning why the country’s “chowkidar” was silent on issues of graft and weakening of institutions.
Addressing his party’s ‘Jan Aakrosh’ rally, Gandhi said the prime minister also did not speak on the case of judge BH Loya and agrarian distress.
“Modi ji did not speak a single word on Doklam during his visit to China. What kind of prime minister is he,” asked Gandhi at the rally held at Ramilia Maidan here.
Further targeting the prime minister, Gandhi sought to compare the performance of the governments led by his party with that of the Modi dispensation at the Centre.
“Prime Minister Modi gave unemployment, ‘Gabbar Singh Tax’ (the term the Congress coined for the Goods and Services Tax to target the government), BJP MLA inflicted atrocities on women (Unnao rape case) in his tenure,” Gandhi said.
Gandhi claimed the Congress united all sections of society and spread love in 70 years unlike the BJP, which allegedly attacked Dalits and minorities.
Gandhi charged that farmers were under stress, but their loans were not written off by the government, which, he added, waived of debts of corporate houses.
“I met him on the agrarian issues. But he did not listen to us,” the Congress president charged.
Gandhi exuded confidence that his party will emerge victorious in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh assembly polls and defeat the BJP in the 2019 general polls.
He also said that the Congress will respect veteran and young leaders of the party alike and that it will allow different views to emerge.
He was apparently referring to the remarks of senior party leader Salman Khurshid, who had recently said that there were Muslims’ blood stains on hands of Congress. The party had distanced itself from Khurshid’s views.
Gandhi also hailed Congress workers, saying they have laid their lives for “truth and the country” and described them as “sher ka bachha” (lion cubs).
Referring to the incident in which an aircraft carrying him to Karnataka’s Hubballi nose dived before landing safely, Gandhi said he thought of God at that time and added he will undertake Kailash Mansarovar yatra after the Karnataka polls.
Modi govt betrayed people, corruption has taken deeper roots under it: Sonia
New Delhi, Apr 29 : Launching a scathing attack on the Modi government, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi today accused it of “betraying” the people by not keeping its promises and alleged that corruption had taken “deeper roots” since it came to power.
In her address to the ‘Jan Akrosh Rally’ at Ramlila Maidan here, the UPA chairperson alleged that the government has left no stone unturned in undermining institutions and targeting political rivals by misusing central agencies.
She also made a reference to the “serious crisis” that had gripped the top judiciary, saying it had never happened before.
Sonia Gandhi claimed all sections of the society were unhappy and angry with the government as none of the promises made to them were fulfilled.
In her 10-minute address, she said unlike truth prevailing in the past, today falsehood, hatred and violence were ruling the roost.
The Congress leader cautioned the people to remain alert in the “sensitive” phase that the country was passing through.
“What happened to Modi ji’s slogan ‘Na khaunga, na khane dunga’ (would not take bribes, nor let anyone do so) as the roots of corruption have become deeper under his watch,” she said.
Sonia Gandhi charged the government with muzzling dissenting voices and dividing communities with an eye on electoral gains.
“For all of us, the country is passing through a sensitive phase and we need to take it seriously. That is why I want to tell you to remain alert,” she said, adding that the people should strengthen their voice along with party president Rahul Gandhi to fight divisive forces.
“We will fight unitedly the directionless, anti-people Modi government, which has made false promises and betrayed the people,” she said.
The former Congress chief said, “I am confident that the voice raised at the rally at the historic Ramlila Maidan will resonate across every household and our fight will be successful in the days to come.”
She said, “This government has not left any stone unturned in undermining constitutional institutions. Political rivals are being targeted through government agencies.
“The media cannot play its role and it is being stopped from doing so,” she said, adding institutions were built with a lot of hard work in the last 60-65 years and need to be strengthened.
“All this is being done at the behest of an organisation, which follows a certain mindset,” the Congress leader said, in an apparent reference to the RSS, the BJP’s ideological mentor.
Urging people to unite under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, Sonia Gandhi said, “We will fight Modi ji and his colleagues who are weakening the foundations of the Constitution for their personal interests.
“We will fight those who are imposing their will and not the law of the land. We will fight those who want to annihilate our Ganga-Jamuni culture,” she said.
The chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party said leaders of the party in the past sacrificed everything as they wanted to create an India based on the values of truth, love and non-violence.
“But what has happened in the last four years is there before all of us. I feel pained to see that falsehood, hatred and violence is rampant in the country today instead of truth, love and non-violence.
“Those who raise voice for justice become victims of Modi government’s anger. They (the BJP) take their majority in the Lok Sabha as a licence to work at their whims and fancies. They think it is their right to muzzle voices at every level,” she added.
