Modi distorting historical facts for political gains: Sonia

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who addressed an election rally after over two years, made a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Tuesday and accused him of distorting historical facts for the sake of electoral gains.

Ms. Gandhi accused Mr. Modi of using the great freedom fighters of the country as “pawns of chess” for his political gains. “The country is in a state of shock as wherever Mr. Modi goes, he is spreading lies by distorting facts and twisting history to his benefit,” she said, and sought to know whether the distortion of facts for political gains had brought any grace to the Prime Minister’s post.

Terming Mr. Modi a good orator and versatile actor, Ms. Gandhi said if his speeches could fill up hungry stomachs, then she would want him to delivers more such speeches. She said, “Mere speeches will not treat patients. For that hospitals are needed. Speeches will not empower women, will not get employment to jobless youths, and will not provide relief to the farmers. To achieve all these objectives, what is needed is strong commitment and honest intentions,” she said.

Mocking the Prime Minister for his silence on various issues, she asked the crowd whether they had ever seen such a Prime Minister who went on and on talking but did not utter a word on real issues of the people.

Giving thumbs up to the welfare schemes of the Congress government in Karnataka, Ms. Gandhi said the government had launched several welfare schemes for all sections of society.

Alleging that Mr. Modi had not granted adequate funds to tackle drought in Karnataka but had released more funds to BJP-governed States, she sought to know whether ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ meant discriminating against States.

Invoking 12th century social reformer Basaveshwara, Ms. Gandhi said Vijayapura, being the land of sufis and saints, would surely expose every ‘jumla’ of the BJP and vote the Congress to power again.

Where is Lokpal?

Ms. Gandhi fired a salvo at Mr. Modi on Tuesday by asking him if he was so serious about eradicating corruption in the country, why he had not constituted the Lok Pal even after four years of being in power.

Without naming the former Chief Minister and BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa and Jay Shah, son of BJP national president Amit Shah, who have been accused of involving in corruption, Ms. Gandhi wondered whether it was Mr. Modi’s model of eradicating corruption.