Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who on Monday addressed four rallies as part of the BJP’s campaign for Gujarat elections, attacked the Congress by comparing democracy in the grand old party with the times of Mughal dynasty rule. He said that Congress cannot tolerate or accept leaders from Gujarat and hence always displayed displeasure towards them and the people of the state.
Speaking at a public rally in Dharampur in South Gujarat, Modi took a jibe at senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s statement in media about elevation of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as the next Congress president. “I want to congratulate Congress party for their Aurangzeb Raj,” Modi said referring to the Mughal emperor.
Aiyar had earlier remarked that when Shahjahan or Aurangzeb took over, there were no elections held then hence it was natural for the heirs of Baadshah to get the throne.
“Now even Congress leaders accept that the Congress is a family and not a party…let them have this kind of Aurangzeb rule,” Modi said.
The PM’s remarks came on a day when Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi filed his nominations for election to the post of Congress president.
Speaking on the various temple visits by Rahul Gandhi during his campaign for Gujarat elections, prime minister said that there was a time when people competed to prove their “secular” credentials but not anymore.
“There was a time when they alleged that BJP was anti-Muslim. This time, not once have they said anything like this. It shows that even Congress has accepted that they used to propagate such to polarize minority votes. Even Muslims now know their true nature,” he added.
Questioning the Congress on why they did not give Constitutional Status to the OBC Commission, Modi said, “We got a Bill but when we did so, they stalled it in the Rajya Sabha. This anti-OBC Congress should be severely punished by the people.”
Speaking at an event in Bhavnagar, Modi said that Gujarat had developed due to the power of “Shanti, Ekta and Sadbhavna”. He alleged that the Congress had time and again tried to divide people on the lines of caste, community, urban and rural.
“Congress has learnt ‘divide and rule’ from our colonial rulers rather well”, Modi said.
Taking at dig at Congress leader and lawyer Kapil Sibal, the prime minister remarked, “Congress has a very ‘able’ lawyer in Kapil Sibal. He is always handling all the indefensible and wrong matters. In 2007, he came to Viramgam and said after the (state elections) results are out, Modi will be in jail. He was very powerful in that government.”
In Junagadh, the prime minister said that the Congress had neglected the region during their rule and it was the BJP government that worked hard to make Junagadh a tourism capital.