Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi holds a copy of the Constitution while addressing an election rally in Godda on Friday.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: As campaigning for elections to Jharkhand and Maharashtra gathered pace, top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a "puppet of billionaires" who is “serving their interests” at the expense of India's poor.
Addressing an election rally in Jharkhand's Mahagama, he said he was not scared of Modi or his "56 inch chest" while accusing him of helping industrialists snatch the land of poor people.
He referred to Modi's attack on him over Constitution saying it is a fight of ideology between the INDIA bloc and BJP-RSS, as the Congress and its allies are protecting the Constitution while the opponents are "trying to dump it in the trash bin" by spreading violence and trying to divide society on the basis of caste, creed and religion.
He said if the poor people have any right today, it is because of this Constitution and before the Constitution, kings used to do whatever they wanted. He also said Modi refers to him about flashing the "red book" but what is important is the content and not the colour. Had he read it, he said Modi would not have been spreading hatred and dividing society.
"We are not scared of Narendra Modi, the 56-inch chest, Mann ki Baat...Modi is a puppet of billionaires. He does what billionaires say. Billionaires want your land, water and forests. Modi will talk 'Mann ki Baat' to you and then go to the wedding of Ambani's son in the evening," he said.
He claimed that the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra was trying to give land in Maharashtra's Dharavi to Adani Group. He also claimed the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra was overthrown to help Adani to get Dharavi land.
Rahul reiterated the promise of conducting Caste Census, which he said would change the face of India by revealing the position of tribals, Dalits and OBCs. “We will demolish the 50% cap on quota,” he added.
He also said a tribal Chief Minister elected by people was put behind the bars in Jharkhand, referring to Hemant Soren.
In a separate rally in Bokaro, he alleged that Modi waived Rs 16 lakh crore of capitalists but did nothing for the poor.
Rahul also claimed that Modi rendered the country’s youths unemployed through GST and demonetisation. “The Prime Minister privatised institutions, colleges, industries; handed over the country's wealth to 25 capitalists,” he said.
He also explained the need for Caste Census as it would “reveal unequal fund distribution”.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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