Rahul attacks Modi, asks party workers to fight elections with love

MANGALURU: AICC president Rahul Gandhi, during his Janashirvada Yatre of the coastal districts, came out all guns blazing against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government, citing various shortcomings, failed promises and numerous scams. He called on party workers to fight elections with love and to work unitedly to defeat the BJP.
“Show them love, even if they abuse you,” Rahul said at Nehru Maidan, where the Yatre culminated on Tuesday.Enthusing cadres, he reiterated what he had said at the recent plenary session of the Congress party that the voice of the party workers will be considered while finalizing party tickets for the assembly elections.
To thousands of party workers who welcomed him by switching on the torch on their mobile phones, Rahul saluted in Tulu: “Niklu mathergla namaskara.” At the venue, where his great grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru and grandmother Indira Gandhi addressed party workers decades ago, Rahul insisted that the Congress will come to power in Karnataka under the able leadership of Siddaramaiah.
Wearing ‘muttale’, the traditional head gear of farmers in Tulunadu, Gandhi said the Congress is committed to protecting farmers in the country. Lashing out at the BJP, he said, “BJP purchased majority in Goa, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalya.”
He also raked up BJP’s ‘jumla’ of promising to deposit Rs 15 lakh in bank accounts of Indians. “The PM should follow the principles of Narayana Guru and Basavanna,” he said. “The Prime Minister is insulting your ancestors by saying that 'no development took place’ in last 70 years by stating that nothing happened in India before his arrival.”
Referring to BJP’s promises of two crore jobs every year, Rahul exhorted Modi to follow Basavanna's line "nudidanthe nade" (practice what you preach). Rahul said the Prime Minister who once called himself a 'chowkidaar' of the nation, was silent while fraudsters like Nirav Modi (accused in the PNB scam) looted the nation’s money. He also questioned the BJP’s silence over the sudden increase in turnover of a company owned by its president Amit Shah’s son. He also accused the government of causing over Rs 40,000 crore loss to exchequer in the purchase of Rafale fighter aircraft from France. “Narendra Modi put Rs 14,000 crore into his friend's pocket in the Rafale deal,” he charged.
He went on to add: “Siddaramaiah didn't seek votes giving empty promises. He has delivered all that he promised. While Karnataka has provided free education for girls, 90 per cent of colleges were privatized in Gujarat. All big promises like ‘Make in India’ and ‘Start-up India’ that Narendra Modi made are all flop shows.”
Without taking the name of former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, Rahul said, “Modi spoke about corruption while sharing the dais with a former CM who went to jail.” He called BJP leaders to speak the truth in the land of visionaries like Narayana Guru and Basavanna.
Workers throw water bottles
Party workers threw water bottles at the media gallery as it hindered their view of Rahul speaking on the dais. A platform for the electronic media was arranged in the middle and those who were sitting behind the cameramen could not see Rahul speaking. Leaders intervened and solved the issue when the lensmen complained.