It is our three years versus their three generations: Shah

BJP leaders take the fight to Rahul Gandhi’s bastion

BJP chief Amit Shah on Tuesday took on Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in his Lok Sabha constituency Amethi, questioning him over development in the "Nehru-Gandhi family bastion" despite his three generations getting elected from there.

Shah, joined by union minister Smriti Irani and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, slammed Gandhi for "mocking" at Gujarat's development and said he "cannot see development as he sports Italian spectacles."

Addressing a public meeting here, the BJP chief said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Adiyanath will ensure all-round development of Amethi as also rest of the state.

"You have trusted a family for 60 years, now trust the BJP and Modi and you will not feel betrayed," Shah told the gathering in the presence of Adityanath and Irani, who had lost to Rahul Gandhi in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in Amethi.

He said there were two models of development here -- a "Nehru-Gandhi model" and the "Modi model". Amethi is known all over the world as a "Nehru-Gandhi family bastion" but there has been no development, he said.

Responding to Gandhi's repeated posers as to what the BJP had done during its rule, Shah said, "The Congress ruled the country for 70 years. I want to ask you, since you have been MP here for a long time, why is there no collector's office, TB hospital and Akashwani's FM here? Erosion of land due to Gomti river has not been stopped."

He added that the BJP has "given a prime minister who speaks". Slamming Gandhi for questioning development in Gujarat, Shah said, "He is mocking at the development in Gujarat. I want to ask 'Shahzada' of the Congress as to what your three generations have given to Amethi? You sought account of our past three years but people of Amethi are taking account of works done here by your past three generations."

Taking a swipe at Gandhi, Shah said, "Rahul baba cannot see development as he sports Italian spectacles." He said the Modi government had launched 106 schemes over the last three years and named some of those.

"For the first time in 35-40 years, I am seeing that the winning candidate (Rahul Gandhi) is missing from his constituency and a defeated candidate (Irani) is giving time to the people," Shah said hailing the work being done in the area by Irani. "Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will develop UP," he asserted.