Rahul invokes Patel, takes on PM

JAMNAGAR/MORBI:

Congress vicepresident Rahul Gandhi arrived in Dhrol, a tiny Rajkot town with a significant Patidar population on Tuesday, and invoked Sardar Patel to woo the people of the poll-bound state. Before Gandhi began addressing a largely Patidar-majority crowd, a worker of the Hardik Patel-formed Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) made him wear a skull cap that had slogan- ‘Jai Sardar, Jai Patidar and Jai Hindi’ written on it.

Reaching out to the people on the second day of his Navsarjan Yatra, Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Modi and said “You (patidars) gave Sardar Patelji...Gujarat gave Sardar Patelji. Gujarat will have to take the lead in taking the nation to new heights. But Modi ji’s Gujarat model has failed. We need old Gujarat model of Amul, which aims for development for all.”

Recalling the deaths of 14 Patidar youths in clashes with police in 2015, Gandhi said, “When youths asked for their right, BJP treated you with bullets...this is not the Congress way..Congress believe in taking everyone along”, he said. At Latipur village, the Congress leader relied on the viral social media campaign ‘vikas has gone crazy’ to taken on Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah “Vikas ko kya hua hai? ” he asked and the crowd responded with “gaando thayo che”. “It seems that vikas (development) has gone mad as some have bluffed too much. We all need to develop Gujarat in the real sense,” said Gandhi.