Modi doesn’t understand India owes its development to common man: Rahul

BHILAI: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being arrogant, adding the latter "doesn''t understand that India has progressed due to the sweat and blood of the common man".

Addressing a campaign rally here for the second phase of Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Gandhi said the country can''t be run by a single person or a party. File photo

Bhilai, November 14

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being arrogant, adding the latter "doesn't understand that India has progressed due to the sweat and blood of the common man".

Addressing a campaign rally here for the second phase of Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Gandhi said the country can't be run by a single person or a party.

"The common citizens have given their sweat and blood for development of the country. The prime minister doesn't seem to understand this because he is arrogant," he told the gathering.

"When Modi spoke from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi that before he became the prime minister in 2014, the elephant (India) was sleeping, he was insulting people of the country," Gandhi said.

"By making such comments, he has insulted you, the workers of Bhilai steel plant who have worked here since 1955," Gandhi said.

Gandhi spoke of "two Indias coexisting", saying "One India is of the rich: Anil Ambani, Mehul Choksi, Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya and another India is of common people like you and me—farmers and labourers. We don't want this. We have one 'tiranga' (national tricolour) and the country should also be one", he said.

"If the rich are given benefits, the common people should also get the same. If you don't want to waive loans of farmers, you should not do so for the rich as well. For a handful of rich whose NPAs total Rs 12 lakh crore, Rs 3.5 lakh crore have been waived off," he said.

Targeting Modi, Gandhi asked the audience to question him when he visits them next.

"On my behalf, ask Modiji why he doesn’t speak about the promises he made in 2014 about depositing Rs 15 lakh in your bank accounts, about giving employment to two crore people, fair price for farmers produce and about being the 'chowkidar' of the country," he said.

Modi did 'chowkidari' of Anil Ambani and made crores of honest ordinary citizens stand in queues outside banks, he said.

"Rs 30,000 crore was given to Ambani in the Rafale deal. This is the truth of the 'chowkidar", Gandhi said. PTI