BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Saturday challenged Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to “a face-off” as both leaders addressed separate rallies on the same day in the State. “Rahul Gandhi you are also in Assam today (Saturday). I am also here. So let’s have a face-off,” Modi said at an election rally in Kakoijan. Earlier at a rally in Nagaon, Rahul likened the BJP with the British, accusing the rival party of making Hindus and Muslims fight.
Addressing a public rally at Dasan School ground while campaigning for the Congress candidate for Nagaon lok Sabha constituency Jonjonali Baruah, Rahul said that BJP has been making the Hindus and Muslims fight against each other like the British did.
“What did the British do when they first came to IndiaIJ They made Hindus and Muslims fight with each other. The BJP is doing the same thing to make the Hindus and Muslims fight so that the people do not have the time to question the Government,” said Gandhi.
Within hours after Rahul fired the first shot of the day, Modi targeted the mother-son duo at an election rally in Kakoijan in Baongaigaon district. “In democracy, every Government is answerable to the people. The ‘Mother-Son’ Government and the ‘Father-Son’ Government also have to go to the people and answer to the people. But the Congress’ ego is sky high now and they do not think themselves as answerable to the people,” Modi said. He directly confronted Rahul by asking, “I have heard that Rahul Gandhi had come here today. Has he mentioned about the price rise even for onceIJ No… He did not. Because he is not interested in the problem.”
Rahul in his address harped on his criticism of Gujarat model of development explaining how the Government took land from farmers and “sold it to companies like the Adanis at a price of Rs 1 per metre”. In turn, “the Adanis sold it to other companies at a price of Rs 800 per metre,” he added, pointing out that Adanis who were a company worth Rs 3,000 crore had now become over Rs 40,000 crore worth company.
Taking potshots at Modi, the Congress scion said, “Now you tell me what the price of a toffee in Assam isIJ Rs 1IJ But you will get a meter of land in Gujarat if you are an Adani,” he said adding that Assam will only benefit when there is a Congress Government at the Centre, taking strength from the achievements of the Tarun Gogoi Government in the state.
Rahul also highlighted the Congress concern for the women empowerment and assured the people to bring the bill for 33 per cent reservation for women, reservation of 25 per cent women in police, bank loan to women, right to food and free medicines for the poor to woo the voters.
Modi took a dig at Rahul’s assurance of security for women. The BJP leader said, “Congress has leaders in its youth wing, who had killed his wife and burn the body in tandoor. In latur, a Congress woman worker goes missing during the party of a Congress leader and after two days her body was recovered. If the Congress women workers were not safe in their own party, how can they talk of women safetyIJ”
He slammed the Congress Government in Assam for failing to protect the one-horned rhinos, the pride of Assam. “I have heard that trees in the forests of Assam are felled and rhinos are killed under the aegis of Minister in the Assam Government. I have also heard that he is settling illegal Bangladeshis immigrants in those forest lands. The rhinos are not just animals they are the pride of Assam,” Modi said,
He said the ‘Mother-Son’ Government at the centre too failed to address the issues like price rise of essential commodities, unemployment, unabated killing of rhinos in Assam and the issue of infiltration from Bangladesh.
“In 2009, the Congress had assured that 10 crore youth of the country will be given jobs. Have you got any jobsIJ Have your family members got jobsIJ Have your neighbor got jobs,” Modi asked and said that the UPA Government had also failed to keep their promise of bringing down the price rise within 100 days.
“After the Nirbhaya episode, the Congress created a Nirbhaya Fund with Rs 1,000 crore for security of girls. However, even after one year has passed not a single paisa has been spent. Now that the elections are here the Government has donated another Rs 1,000 crore to it,” he said.