The Hindu - International

Modi wants youth to be glued to phone, starve to death, says Rahul

- Mehul Malpani

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday offered prayers at Ujjain’s Mahakalesh­war Temple as his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra reached Madhya Pradesh’s pilgrim city. Mr. Gandhi was accompanie­d by former Chief Minister and Congress veteran Kamal Nath among other party leaders.

As the former Congress president was entering the temple entrance, a crowd present at the temple present there started raising “Modi, Modi” slogans as he was entering the main entrance.

‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans

Earlier in the day, a similar incident was witnessed in Shajapur when a group of BJP workers raised slogans in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and even chanted “Jai Shri Ram” in front of the Congress leader.

Mr. Gandhi, however, briefly stopped his vehicle, approached the BJP workers and shook hands with them.

Later in Ujjain, he said he shook their hands as it is easy to do away with hatred.

“Today, I met some BJP men. They were shouting and carrying their party flags. But when I got down the car and asked them how they were doing, they stopped shouting and started smiling. And then when I was leaving, they were giving me flying kiss,” he saidaddres­sing the crowd. “So, it’s not that difficult [dealing with such situations],” he said, adding that only those who get scared of life’s hardships and can’t face them carry hatred.

‘No loans’

In Shajapur, Mr. Gandhi hit out at the Prime Minister stating that Mr. Modi only wants the youth of the country to be “glued to their phones, chant Jai Shri Ram and starve to death”.

He also said that the banks were not giving loans to the youth to start businesses whereas the government was waiving loans of thousands of crores of big industrial­ists.

“And those who can’t pay off the loans flee the country. Be like [businessme­n] Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi or Nirav Modi. Your life is all fun if you come from the 3% to 4% [welltodo] population,” he added.

State Chief Minister Mohan Yadav took a swipe at Mr. Gandhi’s yatra saying that the party, which did anyay (injustice) throughout its tenure is taking out a nyay yatra (march for justice).

“The motive with which he is taking out the march will never be fulfilled. Because when the party which has done injustice throughout their time in power takes out a march for justice, people raise questions,” the Chief Minister said while speaking to reporters.

 ?? PTI ?? Paying obeisance: Rahul Gandhi and Kamal Nath offering prayers at Mahakalesh­war Temple in Ujjain on Tuesday.
PTI Paying obeisance: Rahul Gandhi and Kamal Nath offering prayers at Mahakalesh­war Temple in Ujjain on Tuesday.

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