Rahul says Modi mum on Rafale, Jay Shah; will lose Gujarat: 10 highlights

PM Modi has not spoken a word about corruption and is silent on Jay Shah and Rafale deal: Rahul Gandhi

Unfazed by the BJP's criticism over his temple visits in Gujarat, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday visited Jagannath Temple here and offered prayers. After the temple visit, Rahul Gandhi addressed a press conference, in which he declared his party was confident of taking power in Gujarat and said the BJP was on a losing wicket.

 

Rahul Gandhi says he has prayed for Gujarat's well-being during his temple visits.

 

Here are highlights of his speech

 

1. Modi silent on corruption charges

 

PM Modi has not spoken a word about corruption and is silent on Jay Shah and Rafale deal.

 

"Earlier Modiji used to talk about corruption everywhere. But since we raised the issues of Jay Shah (BJP President Amit Shah's son) and the Rafale defence deal (with France), he stopped talking about corruption," the Congress leader said.

 

2. Congress will win

 

"The BJP has lost its position", Rahul said. 

 

"After the first phase voting in the state (December 9), we are confident that we are going to form the government here," he said.

 

3. BJP's rule helped only few

 

Rahul Gandhi: In the last 22 years, Modiji and (Chief Minister Vijay) Rupaniji have initiated only one-sided development here, the one only for 5 to 10 people. Not everyone has been given their due.

 

4. Why can't I visit temples: Rahul Gandhi

 

"It's BJP's story that I visited temples in Gujarat only. But in fact, I visited Kedarnath temple. Is that in Gujarat? It's in Uttarakhand."

 

Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi visited Ahmedabad's Jagannath temple today. Through his poll campaign in Gujarat, Rahul has visited several temples, including Dwarkadish temple, Chotila temple, Khodaldham in Kagvad, Jalaram Bapa temple in Virpur and Dasi Jivan temple near Jasdan, among others. Analysts have called this the Congress's 'soft Hindutva' approach.

 

Coming to his defence, Congress leaders have said, "Indians are traditionally religious and pious. We will underline it is one thing to be 'religious and secular' and entirely different to be 'religiously communal'. Congress supporters fall in the first category, while the BJP and Sangh Parivar stoke religious communalism. So Rahulji visiting temples is part of Congress tradition. He will continue to visit mosques and other places of worship."

 

5. SMEs got no support from govt

 

Rahul Gandhi: Small and medium enterprises are job creators but they get no support from the government. What has been done in 22 years in Gujarat? Are there doctors in hospitals in Gujarat? Are there jobs in Gujarat?

 

6. Mani Shankar Aiyar's remark

"On Mani Shankar Aiyar's remarks, I made my position clear. We took action against him. But what Modi ii has been saying about Dr. Manmohan Singh is also not acceptable," Rahul said.

 

7. Want to change political discourse

 

Rahul: As Congress president, my priority will be to strengthen the party and you will see that in Gujarat. Personally, I want to change the political discourse. It has become nasty and ugly

 

8. BJP is hollow

 

Rahul Gandhi: People of Gujarat have realised that BJP is hollow. There is an undercurrent in Gujarat. The mood has changed here. All communities are against the government. They are agitating.

 

"Congress is fighting the polls as united force," Rahul said.

 

9. From Narmada, OBC to Congress, BJP shifting its goals

 

Rahul Gandhi said, "The BJP started their campaign on Narmada issue, then shifted to OBC issue and then to development, and then PM shifted his focus on Congress party or himself."

 

10. Congress will do balanced development in Gujarat

 

Rahul Gandhi said, "We will do balanced development against BJP's one-sided development. Irrational economic policies of the BJP government has damaged Gujarat. We will abolish contract labour, fixed pay system in Gujarat. We will never take any decision unilaterally in Gujarat."

 

The second and final phase of the Gujarat Assembly election is due on Thursday. The results will be out on December 18.