Active Stocks
Tue Mar 19 2024 10:01:05
  1. Tata Consultancy Services share price
  2. 4,032.60 -2.71%
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 150.00 0.27%
  1. NTPC share price
  2. 313.55 -1.14%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,442.00 -0.29%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 416.40 -0.24%
Business News/ Politics / Policy/  Rahul Gandhi sounds poll bugle for 2019, takes potshots at Modi
BackBack

Rahul Gandhi sounds poll bugle for 2019, takes potshots at Modi

Rahul Gandhi tore into the BJP-led Union government over the implementation of GST, demonetization and the secrecy around the Rafale aircraft deal, among other issues

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Hyderabad on Monday.Premium
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Hyderabad on Monday.

Bengaluru/Hyderabad: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday kicked off his party’s general election campaign, describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent comments on generating gas from gutters as the government’s “strategy to generate jobs for the youths of the country".

“If you want gas, then generate gas from the gutter and make pakodas," he said, mocking Modi’s comments made at the inauguration of the World Bio Fuel day 2018 in New Delhi on 9 August.

During his inaugural address, Modi cited two examples, one of which referred to a tea stall owner in Gujarat, who had supposedly used a few pipelines to generate gas from the nearby gutter, which in turn was used to make tea. The video of this speech has since gone viral on social media with many mocking the PM over what is widely believed to be a gaffe.

Gandhi, who was addressing a farmers’ rally at Bidar, about 700km from Bengaluru, tore into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government over the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST), demonetization and the secrecy around the Rafale aircraft deal, among other issues. The Congress, which came a distant second in the 2018 assembly elections in Karnataka, is hoping to revive its fortunes in the 2019 general elections. The BJP had won 17 seats in 2014, while the Congress won nine and the Janata Dal (Secular), or JD(S) two seats. The Congress is hoping that its decision to back the over 49,000 crore farm loan waiver, announced by its coalition government headed by H.D. Kumaraswamy will reap dividends when the nation heads for polls next year.

Bidar is also part of 22 districts that will go to the urban local body (ULB) polls later this month. The Congress, which has an informal arrangement with its coalition partner JD(S) at the ULB level, is hoping that it can regroup its grassroots workers ahead of the 2019 polls, which the two parties have decided to fight together.

“He is not the Prime Minister of India but the Prime Minister of 15 big industrialists," Gandhi said on Monday, emphasizing on the Congress narrative that the BJP was willing to write off corporate loans, but had shirked its responsibility when it came to providing funds for farm loan waivers.

Gandhi, who later reached Hyderabad on a two-day visit in the afternoon, launched a blistering attack on the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) at a rally in Serilingampally alleging that Hyderabad had become a “corruption" capital after the TRS came to power in 2014.

Taking a dig at both Modi and Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, Gandhi said that both the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the centre and TRS in the state have the same style of functioning. “If Modiji says that he will deposit 15 lakh in every bank account, the chief minister here says that he will build a two-bedroom house for everyone."

Prior to his address, Gandhi met women from self-help groups. “Modiji also says that he is India’s watchman, but he has worked in such a way that each Rafale aircraft worth 526 crore was bought for 1,600 crore and the centre was unwilling to share its details saying that it was a secret deal with the French government. KCR is also no less. Only one family is ruling here and it helps about 15 to 20 businessmen," alleged Gandhi.

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Politics News and Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
More Less
Published: 13 Aug 2018, 10:02 PM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App