'Modi wanted to rule like a king but forced him to bow before Constitution': Rahul Gandhi

In a sarcastic swipe, the Congress leader added that he considered BJP his 'guru' as it was the saffron party which had taught him what not to do.

Lucknow: Former Congress president and leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that prime minister Narendra Modi wanted to rule like a king but he (Rahul) 'forced' him (Modi) to bow before the Constitution.

Speaking at a 'Samvidhan Samman Sammelan' at Prayagraj, Rahul also said that no one could stop the caste census.

He also, in a sarcastic swipe, said he considered BJP his 'guru' as it was the saffron party which had taught him what not to do.

"Modiji wanted to implement the model of a king in the country but we forced him to bow down before the Constitution," he said.

Rahul said that caste census must be conducted to ascertain the population of different communities and that on one could stop it.

"For us caste census is policy making foundation.....caste census is not the end.... it's a means to act after ascertaining the number of every community.... we don't want all the backward communities under the umbrella of OBC...each community should be counted", he said.

Rahul also took potshots at Modi saying that he wanted the ITIs to train carpenters. "Why not use the carpenters to do it.....there are millions of carpenters, cobblers and barbers in the country who have the skill to train", he added.

The Congress leader also ridiculed Modi's oft repeated claims that the country had become a superpower. "How can the country become a superpower when 90 percent of the population is out of the system?," he said.

"Only ten percent people are saying that the country has become a superpower,", he added.

In a sarcastic vein, Rahul said that he considered the BJP as his guru as it had taught him what he should not be doing.

""I learn from the BJP what I should not be doing" he added.

Rahul also accused the BJP government of waiving loans worth over Rs 16 lakh crore a handful of people. "There is no dalit in the list ", he said.

Earlier Rahul was accorded a rousing reception upon his arrival in Prayagraj. He was also cheered by the participants during his speech.