Rahul launches scathing attack on NDA govt, gives Modi a hug

NEW DELHI: Congress president Rahul Gandhi launched a blistering attack on the National Democratic Alliance and on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech during the debate on the no-confidence motion against the government on Friday.

In a nearly hour-long speech, Gandhi accused the government of crony capitalism, repeated allegations of wrongdoing in the Rafale deal, said the entire country had become a victim of what he termed “Jumla Strikes” (deception), and then ended his aggressive speech by walking up to a surprised Modi and hugging him.

He hinted that Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah were afraid to lose power -- unlike the Congress, he said -- because of “the fear that other processes” would set in if they were out of power.

The no-confidence motion was brought by the BJP’s erstwhile partner in the NDA, the Telugu Desam Party, which has accused the government of reneging on the promise of special category status to Andhra Pradesh after the state’s bifurcation in 2014 for the creation of Telangana.

Pointing to TDP member Jayadev Galla, Gandhi said, “I sensed a certain anxiety, a deep feeling of pain and I want to tell you from here that you are the victim of a 21st century political weapon. I want to tell you that you are not alone. That political weapon is called Jumla Strike.”

He said the promise to bring back black money and deposit Rs 15 lakh in the account of every Indian (made by Modi ahead of the 2014 general election) , and the promise to create 2 crore jobs a year were also similar ‘Jumla Strikes’.

The opinion abroad is that India cannot protect its women, Dalits and minorities but there is no word from the PM... are they not the citizens of this country? RAHUL GANDHI, Congress president