Bengaluru: Ducking a question on the graft charges in connection with the National Herald and Young Indian cases, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Wednesday said the Central Government is using the Enforcement Directorate and other central agencies to intimidate the Congress and opposition parties.
Speaking to newspersons here, he said the Central Government was only looting people in the name of demonetisation and GST and handing over the money to two or three industrial houses.
“Unemployment is due to the fact that the central government does not allow any small scale industry to function because they want only the rich industries to flourish,” he said.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi became a Lingayat when he was initiated into the sect even as a seer at a Lingayat seminary in Chitradurga said the Congress leader will become the Prime Minister.
"Indira Gandhiji was PM, Rajiv Gandhi PM, and now Rahul Gandhi has been initiated into Lingayat sect, and he will become the PM," a seer at the at Sri Murugarajendra Mutt said.
At this, Sri Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, president of the institution, interrupted and added, "Please don't say this... This is not the platform. People will decide."
Later, at a meeting of the state unit's political affairs committee, Rahul Gandhi urged the leaders to work together and not speak out publicly.
Party general secretary KC Venugopal later told reporters, "There is no leadership issue at all. Individual opinion is also not acceptable. The party's new MLAs and the high command will decide on the leader after winning."
The Congress is struggling with a rift within. Legislature party leader Siddaramaiah and state unit chief DK Shivakumar are both contenders for the CM's post if the party comes to power.
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