Rahul Gandhi to Patels: BJP fired on you, Congress is with you

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi during an interaction with the dairy farmers at Pipalia Raj, Rajkot in Gujarat on Tuesday. (PTI/File Photo)

On the second day of his roadshow, which passed through Patidar-dominated areas of Saurashtra in Gujarat, Congress vice-president tried to woo the community by directly addressing them in small gatherings and telling them that if the Congress copmes to power, the government will not fire on them. He was referring to the police firing on Patidar youths during their 2015 agitation for quota in jobs and educational institutions.

“We (Congress) work in an environment of love and fraternity. We take everybody along. It is our promise that we shall take everybody along and take Gujarat forward,” Rahul said at Dhrol town of Jamnagar.

While state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki said it was time for “revenge for the atrocities on Patidars”, Rahul said, “You gave Sardar Patel to the country. Gujarat gave Sardar Patel to the country. (Now) you have to show a way to entire country. Only Gujarat, and no other state can do it.” Rahul criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Statue of Unity of Sardar Patel, saying that the PM was promoting “Make in India”, but had given out the work of building the statue to China. “This is a matter of shame,” the Connress leader said.