Talk about Rajivji and me, but also talk about Rafale, says Rahul Gandhi at Haryana rally

Modi is spreading hatred and he pits one caste against another in Haryana and the people of Maharashtra against those from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, alleges Mr. Gandhi.

In the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attacks on the Gandhi family in his election rallies, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on May 9 said Mr. Modi was free to talk about him and his father Rajiv Gandhi, a former Prime Minister, but he must also tell the people of this country about the Rafale fighter aircraft deal and his promise to give employment to two crore youth.

“Mr. Modi, you may talk about Rajivji and me, if you want to. Speak about it with an open heart. But you must also explain to the people about what you did in the Rafale deal. You must also talk about your promise of two crore jobs,” said Mr. Gandhi, at an election rally in Haryana's Sirsa in support of Congress candidate and party's State unit chief Ashok Tanwar, who is pitted against the BJP's Suneeta Duggal, a former IRS officer.

With the crowd loudly replying, “chor hai”, to him saying “chowkidar”, Mr. Gandhi looked at the media people around and said it was the people of the country who were saying “chowkidar chor hai”.

Mr. Gandhi also took took a dig at Mr. Modi's “Mann Ki Baat” programme. The Congress chief highlighted the various schemes promised in the Congress's manifesto and asserted that they did not believe in talking their heart out, but in listening to what the masses wanted to say.

Accusing Mr. Modi of spreading “hatred”, Mr. Gandhi said the former pitted one caste against another in Haryana and the people of Maharashtra against those from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. He also made people of one religion fight against the other, Mr. Gandhi alleged.

Separate budget for farmers

Besides talking about the party's 'Nyay' scheme and a promise for a separate budget for farmers, Mr. Gandhi, in his over 20-minute speech, said Mr. Modi made many promises five years ago to provide jobs to the youth, put ₹15 lakh in the bank accounts of all and waive off loans of farmers, but now he did not talk about all this in his rallies. “He does not talk about employment, the farmers and ₹15 lakh. He reads from teleprompter to deliver his speeches,” said Mr. Gandhi.

The Congress had kept the promise of loan waiver to small farmers that it made during the recent Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh Assembly elections, he claimed.

All India Congress Committee general secretary and Haryana in charge Ghulam Nabi Azad said Mr. Modi was the only Prime Minister in the history of independent India who was anti-farmer, anti-women and anti-youth and had disturbed the social and religious harmony of the country. He did not have the right to rule, Mr. Azad added.