BJP divides,

MUMBAI: Sounding the bugle before the assembly and Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said his party has always believed in sacrifice, while the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) thrust is on dividing people.

After appearing in a Bhiwandi court in a defamation case, he addressed party workers and corporators in Goregaon and Bandra-kurla Complex (BKC).

“Veer Savarkar (BJP ideologue) was pleading with the British government with folded hands for mercy and forgiveness (for his early release from jail), while Congress workers and leaders fighting for freedom were lodged in jails for years,” he said.

Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his rhetoric. “If you have observed carefully, there has been a fear in Prime Minister’s voice because he is well aware of the reality. His friend and Jay Shah’s father (BJP chief Amit Shah) is scared even more and has been running from one place to another (for alliance). I don’t need to be scared like them as I am a soldier of truth,” he said.

He predicted that the BJP will be routed in the upcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

“In Gujarat they barely survived; they lost in Karnataka; and in these three states, they will not even be seen around,” he said.

At the rally in Mumbai Exhibition Centre in Goregaon, Gandhi motivated Congress workers and called them real senapatis (commanders), who will be respected and protected.

He took a dig at Modi for not speaking against fugitives namely Lalit Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya. Gandhi said farmers and youth are disillusioned with the government.

“Farmers have not been able to get remunerative prices of their produce, while youths are worried as the PM has failed to create 2 crore jobs promised per year. While China has been able to create 50,000 jobs daily, the

Indian government is managing only 450,” he said.

Gandhi also held an interactive session with party’s 31 BMC corporators at BKC in the evening. Gandhi said the councillors are special to him, considering the stronghold of the BJP-SHIV Sena in the BMC.

“Despite being small in number

compared to the ruling party, it is commendable the way you all are fighting for providing quality services to citizens.”

The councillors raised several queries pertaining to unfair distribution of party tickets during elections.

Gandhi promised to look into the matter.