scorecardresearch
Friday, March 29, 2024
Support Our Journalism
HomePoliticsRahul Gandhi’s in MP to campaign for state polls but doesn’t miss...

Rahul Gandhi’s in MP to campaign for state polls but doesn’t miss a chance to attack Modi

Follow Us :
Text Size:

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been targeting the PM Modi over issues such as the Rafale deal and demonetisation.

Bhopal: Congress president Rahul Gandhi may be busy campaigning for the upcoming assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, but that has not stopped him from attacking PM Narendra Modi over issues such as the Rafale deal — something local voters may not even relate to.

The Congress has been trying to corner the BJP government on the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets. It has not only raised questions about the financial terms of agreement, but also alleged crony capitalism, claiming Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence was favoured as offset partner over state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

“Once an inquiry starts, Modi and Anil Ambani, both will be named without any doubt,” Gandhi claimed.

The Congress president has also been targeting the Modi government over demonetisation.

“Demonetisation was a random act of destruction,” Gandhi said while interacting with journalists in Indore Tuesday morning.


Also read: Scared of being dumped, Madhya Pradesh BJP MPs queue up for assembly tickets


So far, the Congress president has campaigned in the Malwa region of Ujjain, Jhabua, Indore, Dhar and Khargone in Madhya Pradesh.

He started his road trip by paying a visit to the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain. This was followed by a roadshow in Indore Monday evening, which drew massive crowds from the city and nearby areas. State Congress leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kamal Nath accompanied Gandhi on his journey.

Hindutva vs Hinduism

Countering BJP’s criticism over his temple visits, Gandhi made it clear that “no one has the copyright to Hinduism”. Distinguishing Hindutva from Hinduism, he claimed while the former had stemmed from violence, hatred, arrogance, the latter comes from open-mindedness, embracing different viewpoints and free thinking.

Refusing to be labelled as a “Hinduvadi” leader, Gandhi said he is a ‘Rashtravadi’ leader.

‘Gabbar Singh Tax’

Tearing into the Modi government over the Goods & Services Tax, which he refers to as the “Gabbar Singh Tax”, Gandhi said that rather than scrapping it, the Congress would transform the tax system if it comes to power.

He also promised that Congress will try to ensure that GST covers the whole economy and it becomes easier for the small and medium level traders.

He also slammed the BJP government’s demonetisation move, calling it “a decision he (Modi) took as lightly as buying popcorn at the cinemas”. The Congress president went on to call the prime minister “a corrupt man”, who refuses to waive farmers’ loan.

Speaking about farm distress and unemployment, Gandhi stressed that his party will do what the Modi government has failed to deliver.

State leadership and party strategy

Although both Scindia and Nath are seen as potential CM candidates, Gandhi refused to take any name. Stating that the people will make their choice, he said, “Both of them are great assets to the party. I refuse to pick one and want to use both their vibrancy and experience, that is my strategy.”


Also read: Why exactly is Rahul Gandhi going on Mansarovar yatra at peak of Madhya Pradesh campaign?


Elaborating on the ticket distribution, Gandhi said, “I am trying to change the entire process of ticket allocation in Congress and decentralise it.

“With the help of an app called Shakti, we are trying to collect responses from our local-level workers about various candidates and use their responses as a factor in deciding candidates,” he added.

Meanwhile, Nath dismissed concerns that the party brass is sitting in Delhi discussing ticket distribution, thus giving election campaigning a miss. He called this a strategic decision of the party, saying the Congress didn’t want to repeat the same mistakes it did in Karnataka elections and lose momentum in their campaign.

Subscribe to our channels on YouTube, Telegram & WhatsApp

Support Our Journalism

India needs fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. ThePrint – with exceptional reporters, columnists and editors – is doing just that.

Sustaining this needs support from wonderful readers like you.

Whether you live in India or overseas, you can take a paid subscription by clicking here.

Support Our Journalism

1 COMMENT

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular