Kheda, Ahmedabad, Gujarat: While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been busy with the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the party’s newly-elected president, Mallikarjun Kharge, has been campaigning in poll-bound Gujarat. Kharge Sunday addressed two rallies in the state — in Bapunagar and Dediyapada talukas.
Kharge spoke of how the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to “end democracy in the country”, while mocking the ruling party for using the Modi card in elections. He added that the BJP is “scared” of losing this election, hence Prime Minister Narendra Modi is campaigning for them in the state.
He also talked about the BJP toppling Congress governments.
“People chose a Congress government in Manipur, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Goa. When the Congress had the support of the people, why did Modi ji topple the governments with the help of MLAs?” Kharge said while speaking in Bapunagar.
Meanwhile, PM Modi also addressed three public gatherings in Gujarat Sunday — in Netrang, Kheda and Surat. In Kheda, PM Modi accused the Congress of hiding terrorist while they were in power. He said, “We used to take action against terrorists. But no one can forget that the Congress government at the Centre used to work towards releasing those terrorists”.
Last month in Kheda, stones were hurled at a garba event. Later, the police reportedly publicly flogged some Muslim men in the main chowk of the village.
PM Modi in his speech also said that his party had warned Congress of the rising terrorism in the state, but they, in turn attacked him, resulting in inaction, which he claimed, led to terrorists becoming fearless and active in big cities.
ThePrint’s national photo editor, who is in Gujarat covering the elections, brings you pictures from both public gatherings.
