BIHAR BATTLE: Shah’s son can’t hold a bat, yet controls cricket: Rahul slams BJP for ‘favouritism’

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said Jay Shah, ICC president and son of Home Minister Amit Shah, did not know how to hold a bat, but was controlling cricket.

Addressing a rally at Bhagalpur, Rahul said only sons of influential people like Adani, Ambani and Shah were allowed to dream in India. “Shah’s son does not know how to hold a bat, but is controlling cricket,” he said.

The Congress leader said PM Narendra Modi, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Shah had turned the youth of Bihar into labourers. “You make bridges, expressways and buildings across the country, but you cannot find jobs in your home state. Employment has been abolished from Bihar,” said Rahul.Alleging that people like Adani and Ambani were selling Chinese items in the country, the LoP said, “It is the factory owner in China and Adani and Ambani here who profit from the sale of Chinese items.”

“Modi helps these businessmen by giving them land, while TV channels being run by their conglomerates, in turn, show Modi’s face throughout the day. The money that they earn from you is given to these TV channels,” he said.

Rahul alleged that demonetisation was introduced to wipe off small-scale industries. “Modi wants to finish off farmers, labourers and small businesses. But while the BJP works for Adani and Ambani, the Congress works for the farmers and labourers. I want to create employment in Bihar, and see mobile phones made in the state,” he added.

Reiterating the ‘vote theft’ charge, Rahul said the BJP had ‘stolen’ elections in Haryana and wanted to repeat their feat in Bihar.

Earlier at a meeting in Banka, Rahul said that the BJP leaders and workers vote in UP, Haryana, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. “I can guarantee that they will do it again in Bihar,” he said.

The former Congress chief said, “The PM said that he will establish data centres so that the youth can make reels. He wants to divert the youth’s attention from the key issues like unemployment.”

Rahul also repeated his remark that paper leaks had become common in Bihar, which had the potential to create a city like Dubai. He also accused the BJP of trying to spread communal hatred.

Meanwhile, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who held a series of public meetings in segments that are slated to go to the poll on November 11, asserted that the increased vote percentage in the first round of Assembly poll on November 6 suggested that the people were in a mood for change. He added that he was committed to his promise of one government job for each family in Bihar.

However, the Opposition’s CM face found himself in an awkward position in Purnea.

Purnea MP Pappu Yadav virtually hijacked the stage to appear with Tejashwi. The RJD leader has been avoiding Pappu since the Lok Sabha poll, when he had refused to give the Purnea seat to the Congress and fielded an RJD candidate. Pappu Yadav went on to contest as an Independent and won the election.