Rahul Gandhi becoming reason for Cong's downfall: Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, saying the Congress leader does not speak on his own but depends on "borrowed wisdom" and he is becoming a reason for his party's downfall.

"Rahul ji apni buddhi se toh kuch kahte nahin. Udhar ki buddhi vivek nahin deti hai. (Rahul ji does not say anything from his wisdom. Borrowed wisdom does not give sense of reasoning)," Adityanath said while responding to a question about Gandhi's criticism of the state of affairs in Uttar Pradesh under his government.

Adityanath made the remarks at the India Economic Conclave which he attended via a video bridge.

The chief minister said that since Gandhi hardly visits the state, he would have little information about the ground situation there.

When India faces a crisis, Rahul Gandhi does not remember the people of the country but his maternal grandmother in Italy, Adityanath said.

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"He criticises north when he is in south, and south when he is in north (India)," the senior BJP leader said targeting Gandhi who is the MP from Wayanad in Kerala.

The Congress leader had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections from Wayanad and Amethi, but lost to BJP's Smriti Irani in the Uttar Pradesh seat.

Gandhi also criticises India when he is abroad, Adityanath said, adding that when a person has such a nature, his reliability is under question.

Adityanath claimed that Gandhi is becoming a reason for the Congress' downfall.

To a question about opinion polls predicting another term for the Left Democratic Front in Kerala against the convention of the party in power being ousted in the next election in the state, he said Gandhi's arrival in the state has triggered a slide in Congress' fortunes there.

Responding to a question on West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, he said it is an "ideological victory" for the BJP that people who used to describe going to temple as "communal" are themselves visiting temples.

"This may be due to elections, but we consider it as our ideological victory. Ideological victory leads to real victory," Adityanath said.

He recalled that restrictions were placed on Durga Puja in West Bengal in 2018. Uttar Pradesh, Adityanath said, faced a similar situation as Durga Puja and Moharram fell at the same time.

He said his government allowed both by fixing time for the two by talking to stakeholders.

Later, the West Bengal government approached the Uttar Pradesh government to understand how it managed to allow both the religious events, he claimed.

Predicting a win for the BJP in the West Bengal polls, Adityanath said every section of society wants change in the state.

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He said Uttar Pradesh has progressed in every field since the BJP came to power in the state in 2017. The size of its economy is now second in the country from six in 2015-16, Adityanath said.

He said that his government identified various fields to boost people's income and improve the state's economy. The per capita income has gone up to Rs 96,000 from Rs 47,000 earlier, Adityanath said.

The state has seen over Rs 3 lakh crore private investment in the last four years, he said, adding that law and order has considerably improved and road and air connectivity boosted.