In a bid to occupy the anti-BJP, anti-Trinamool Congress space in Bengal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday attacked both Narendra Modi and Mamata Banerjee with matching ferocity, calling the former ‘a vendor of lies’ and the latter ‘an autocrat of sorts’ who does “whatever she likes.”
Incidentally, Gandhi’s attack comes weeks after Congress leader in Lok Sabha and his senior party colleague Mallikarjun Kharge joined Banerjee along with 21 other national leaders in a Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) rally in Kolkata. The rally was held on February 19 from where all the leaders vouched for a united India and united Opposition to fight down a “communal BJP.”
Mendacity is the hallmark of the Prime Minister, Gandhi said in North Malda from where he commenced his electoral campaign in Bengal.
Launching a vitriolic attack on Modi for “peddling lies wherever he goes,” he said adding the coming election will see a battle of ideologies. “On two sides of the political spectrum are: Congress which is fighting for the unity of the country and the BJP-RSS which want to drive a wedge between castes and communities.”
Piercing the Prime Minister with the Chowkidar spike Gandhi said Modi is a person who not only “tells lies throughout the day,” but also “functions as a chowkidar (watchman) of the rich people.”
The common people like the unemployed, farmer workers do not need chowkidars, he said insisting only “the rich people like Anil Ambani” need them. Attacking Modi for “defending the corrupt and fugitives” like Mehul Chowksi, Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya who have defrauded the banks of thousands of crores of rupees Gandhi said the Prime Minister had “taken the common man’s `30,000 crore to fill the pockets of Anil Ambani” in Rafale (fighter craft) case.
Gandhi was campaigning in favour of Congress candidate Isha Khan Chowdhury who is contesting in place of his cousin sister and sitting MP Mausam Benazir Noor who is contesting on a Trinamool Congress ticket.
Attacking Noor for betraying the people as “you elected her on Congress ticket but she switched over to the TMC under pressure from that party,” Gandhi said the people will take account of their betrayers. Noor however said she had turned coat inspired by the good works done by Mamata Banerjee.
Taking on Banerjee for giving Bengal an autocratic Government Gandhi said, “it is a one-man show going on in Bengal. The person who runs this Government never takes anyone’s suggestions. She does whatever she likes,” adding the present Government was “not better than the one run by the previous Left Front.”