BJP blinded by ‘one man’: Rahul
Striking a body blow to the BJP and its Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said BJP was blinded by one man and his ambitions and, therefore, politically isolated leaders such as LK Advani and Jaswant Singh.
Attacking the BJP on women’s security, Rahul said: “What could be expected from the party when in Gujarat a minister secretly listens to calls of a woman and policemen are put on her trail. In Chattigarh 20,000 women are missing.”
Criticising the BJP for stalling the passage of the women’s reservation bill, Rahul said “We will definitely pass it.”
Speaking at a rally in Naubasta in Akbarpur here, Rahul said: “See what has happened because of one man. Advanji is finished. Jaswantji is finished. BJP is finished. Left is one-point programme of making one man the prime minister.”
He accused the BJP of plagiarising the Congress manifesto because “the party cannot see beyond one man and has lost touch with the people and their issues.”
He said the BJP was following one man “who claims to be repository of all knowledge.”
The Congress leader said the third instalment of India Shining repackaged in Gujarat model would again be deflated like the two previous ones. Rahul, tapping into the tune sung by AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal said: “The campaign built around one man was funded by two or three industrialists. These industrialists were benefited by the Gujarat model” Changing topic, Rahul said the BJP believed in pitting communities on religious lines and causing conflict between poor and the rich.
“Their politics is of hate and anger. They cannot see the poor, their pain and their problems.” Congress, he said, believed in the politics of love, unity and peace. Flaying BJP for another its ties with Shiv Sena, Rahul said the party partners Shiv Sena in Maharashtra and it attacks the people of north India.
Rahul highlighted his party’s manifesto, which he said, was prepared in consultation with common people. “We will give free medicines, homes and guarantee of pension to old people,” he said. “When I saw BJP’s manifesto, I was surprised to see ours was copied verbatim,” he said.