New Delhi, Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for selling the country’s public sector undertakings (PSUs), taunting that he might even sell the Taj Mahal or Red Fort.
The Congress leader also dared the BJP leaders to raise the slogans in favour of India in Pakistan as party’s Jangpura assembly constituency candidate Tarvinder Singh Marwah did 15 years ago.
He also hit out at Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal saying they were not interested in jobs for youngsters, but were keen on making one Indian fight with each other for staying in power.
Training his guns at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Gandhi said both had an aim to spread hatred in the society, something the Congress could never do.
Addressing rallies in Delhi’s Jangpura and Sangam Vihar assembly constituencies for party candidates, Marwah and Poonam Azad, respectively, he said: “Modiji gave a good slogan of Make in India, but he did not set up a single factory in last five years.”
“Indian Oil, Air India, Hindustan Petroleum, Railways, energy are now up for sale and in the coming days, even the Red Fort or Taj Mahal can be put for sale,” he said.
Attacking the BJP leaders for raising the issue of nationalism, the Gandhi scion said: “These days, BJP people talk about nationalism and patriotism and they keep talking about Pakistan. But he (Marwah) is such a leader who went to Pakistan and raised slogans in support of India. He was also jailed there.”
“Show me a BJP leader who can go to Pakistan and raise slogans for India. Not like Modi, who shouts slogans amidst tight security,” he added.
Slamming the AAP and the BJP in the city, he said that both these parties “don’t work but do only marketing”.
Raising the issue of unemployment in India and in Delhi, Gandhi said: “Modiji talked about giving employment to two crore youth every year, jobs which none of them got.
“What has the AAP done in the last 5 years for unemployment? Unemployment has grown in Delhi.”
“They are only bothered about how to make people fight among themselves. Entire world wants to invest in india. But now they see hatred, violence, rape, murder. In the last five years, wherever you see everyone talks with hatred. This is not our history, our country, the land of love and peace,” he said
“They talk about Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, but they have no knowledge of religion. No religion talks about suppressing people of other religions. Which brand of Hinduism is it..of Modi and RSS? Hinduism talks of connecting everyone and take everyone forward. Guru Nanak also taught of taking everyone along with love and humility.
He targeted the Prime Minister for raising the “Pakistan and terrorism” issues in his speeches.
“The Prime Minister says I only speak lies, that I only talk about Pakistan and terrorism, but will not talk about employment because I don’t have the guts to give jobs to the youth.
“What Modiji says is: We don’t want to give them jobs, we only want to divide the Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christian. And I want to destroy the unity, I want a new India with violence, hatred, cases of rape, unemployment. I am Narendra Modi and I don’t need old India’.”
“Can a man who makes two patriots fight be a patriot or nationalist?” Gandhi asked, adding that the prevailing atmosphere of hatred, violence against women in the country is also not benefiting the country.
He said the world says that they want to make “Make in India” a success, but for that, they want the old India, where there was love and humility.
“A divided, full of hatred India cannot compete with China.”
“To build a country a vision and thought is required,” he said.
Reminding the gathering about the developmental work done by former Chief Minister late Sheila Dikshit in the capital like the Metro, infrastructure, roads and flyovers, Gandhi said the Congress manifesto proposal of spending 25 per cent of the budget will go for the works to curb air pollution and towards acquiring 15,000 electric buses.
