Modi ridicules Rahul's rise, wants Gujarat to dump Congress: 10 highlights

PM Modi pitched the Gujarat elections as a battle between 'vikaswaad' (development) and 'vanshwad' (dynasty)

While Rahul Gandhi is all set to take over as Congress president next week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday mocked the sixth Nehru-Gandhi scion saying, "Congratulate the Congress on their 'Aurangzeb Raj."

 

At a rally in poll-bound Gujarat's Rajkot, PM Mofi pitched the Gujarat elections as a battle between 'vikaswaad' (development) and 'vanshwad' (dynasty). 

 

Here's how Modi targetted Congress party:

 

1. Modi likens Rahul's elevation to dynastic succession in the Mughal dynasty

"I congratulate the Congress on their 'Aurangzeb Raj.' For us, the well-being of the people matters and 125 crore Indians are our high command," said PM Modi.

'Mani Shankar Aiyar, who was a minister in the Congress government, has said ‘did elections happen during Mughal rule? After Jehangir, Shah Jehan came, was any election held? After Shah Jehan it was understood that Aurangzeb would be the leader’. Does the Congress accept that it is a one-family party? We don’t want this Aurangzebi Raaj (Aurangzeb’s rule). For us, the country comes first, 125 crore (1.25 billion) people of this country are our high-command.'

 

2. Congress has abandoned 'public modesty'

 

Without referring to the National Herald case, in which Rahul Gandhi had got bail, Modi said, "Congress has gone bankrupt, as it is going to make a person who is out on bail in corruption case its president."

 

3. Congress injured ‘Gujarati asmita’

 

Seeking to play up emotive card, he reminded voters that Morarji Desai, who hailed from Valsad district, was arrested by the Congress regime during Emergency and put behind bars for 19 months.

 

For the voters of Gujarat and the Valsad district, time has come to punish those who kept on hurling insults on Gujarat. “Stop insulting Gujarat,” he said the Congress always presumed that people of Gujarat should be insulted and shown in poor light.”

 

They did not do this with Bihar, Uttar Pradesh or West Bengal. What offence we did, was it our offence that we produced Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel,” he said.

 

4. Gandhi dynasty kept Uttar Pradesh poor

 

Gandhi dynasty kept Uttar Pradesh, which sent its members to the prime ministerial chair, poor and backward. Modi reminded the people how Congress was wiped out in Uttar Pradesh, Assam and would soon be wiped out in Himachal Pradesh, too.

 

5. Modi said that there was a time when people competed to prove their "secular" credentials but not anymore.

 

"Over the years they alleged that the BJP was anti-Muslim. This time, not once have they said anything like that. It shows that even the Congress has accepted that they used to propagate such information to polarise minority votes. Even Muslims have seen through their true nature," he added.

 

He said the people of Gujarat were not fools and would see through the “deception” (of visiting temples for Hindu votes).

 

6. Congress is anti-OBC: Modi

 

Alleging the Congress of not doing anything for the Other Backward Castes (OBC), the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), Modi said, "All the previous governments did not do anything for these communities. As soon as our government was formed, we granted constitutional status to the OBC commission. Congress had halted that bill in the Rajya Sabha. I don't have to go and learn what backward living is."

 

"These people talk a lot of OBCs.. but I want to tell the OBCs of south Gujarat that Congress is lying.

 

7. "Congress is in tears. They've lost whatever they looted from the poor"

 

Modi said demonetisation hurt the Congress, but not honest common people of the country.

 

"It is only Congress which is angry due to the note ban as they have lost their opportunity to loot the poor in India. They cry because I have acted against them. I am here for the poor. Every money in India is for the poor, adivasis, Dalits, farmers and workers," he said.

 

8. "Gujarat won't have to hang its head in shame because of my hard work"

 

"Today, I can say with pride that after two decades, I got to handle many responsibilities. Two decades is not a short time, but in this time, there has never been an incident due to which my dear Gujarat would have to hang its head," Modi said.

 

9. Congress learned to divide and rule from the British, says Modi 

 

"Congress is trying to create fights between brothers, between cities and villages, between religions and castes, whatever chasms that they could create, Congress party has learned this sin from the British Raj rather well," Modi says.

 

10. "Don't know whether to laugh or cry at Rahul's remarks"

 

Making a veiled reference to Gandhi, he said, "One leader during his speech said Modi gave 48,000 crore acres of land to an industrialist. The area he is talking about is three times the size of land available on the earth. I don't know what to do... to laugh or cry."

 

The prime minister said, "What can you expect from the Congress" when the person expected to lead the party cannot understand such basic things.

 

Gandhi had during one of his rallies in Gujarat alleged that PM Modi had given a vast tract of land to an industrialist in Mundra of Kutch district. The video of his speech had gone viral on social media.