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Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused the BJP and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi of instigating people to divide the country like the British. The Congress vice-president blasted the BJP for allegedly "dividing the country like the British Raj" and talking about love and unity.
"Like the British Raj, the opposition and Modi also believe in the divide and rule policy. Modi goes to Maharashtra and instigates people there, women in Karnataka are beaten up," he asserted.
Continuing his tirade, Rahul said, "The opposition only criticises and never speaks good of anyone."
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"We are not aggressive. We talk of love, brotherhood and unity. Like Sri Sankardeb (14th century socio-religious reformer) in Assam, Gandhiji worked for unity in the entire country," he said.
"India's strength is in unity among Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikh, Jains. India gets strenghth from it," Gandhi asserted.
Ridiculing the Gujarat model, he said giving away farm land at throwaway prices to an industrialist who made enormous profits selling it was the model touted by the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate.
"Modi sahab talks about his Gujarat model. What has he done? He deprived the poor farmers of their land to give away 35,000 acre of agricultural land to industrialist Adani at Rs one per metre," Gandhi said at an election meeting in Nagaon.
"Adani then sold the land at Rs 800 per metre. His industry grew from a Rs 3000 crore company to a Rs 40,000 crore company now just by selling farmers land at high cost and not through production. This he calls the Gujarat model," Gandhi said.
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"A toffee sells at Rs one per piece here. If you give a toffee, the Gujarat government will give you one metre of land if you are Adani," the Congress leader said.
Targeting the Gujarat Chief Minister, he said, "Modi makes speeches that he will bring change to India. One person cannot bring change, but only the collective effort of crores of people can do it." In West Bengal, Gandhi attacked the Mamata Banerjee government in the Saradha ponzi scam, and accused it of not taking action against those involved and instead trying to save them.
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"The government here has not done anything for two years. 20 lakh people have been affected (by the scam)," he said.
"Like the British Raj, the opposition and Modi also believe in the divide and rule policy. Modi goes to Maharashtra and instigates people there, women in Karnataka are beaten up," he asserted.
Continuing his tirade, Rahul said, "The opposition only criticises and never speaks good of anyone."
ALSO READ: Rahul raises Saradha pitch to attack Mamata
"We are not aggressive. We talk of love, brotherhood and unity. Like Sri Sankardeb (14th century socio-religious reformer) in Assam, Gandhiji worked for unity in the entire country," he said.
"India's strength is in unity among Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikh, Jains. India gets strenghth from it," Gandhi asserted.
Ridiculing the Gujarat model, he said giving away farm land at throwaway prices to an industrialist who made enormous profits selling it was the model touted by the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate.
"Modi sahab talks about his Gujarat model. What has he done? He deprived the poor farmers of their land to give away 35,000 acre of agricultural land to industrialist Adani at Rs one per metre," Gandhi said at an election meeting in Nagaon.
"Adani then sold the land at Rs 800 per metre. His industry grew from a Rs 3000 crore company to a Rs 40,000 crore company now just by selling farmers land at high cost and not through production. This he calls the Gujarat model," Gandhi said.
ALSO READ: Sonia challenges BJP to punish its leaders involved in corruption
"A toffee sells at Rs one per piece here. If you give a toffee, the Gujarat government will give you one metre of land if you are Adani," the Congress leader said.
Targeting the Gujarat Chief Minister, he said, "Modi makes speeches that he will bring change to India. One person cannot bring change, but only the collective effort of crores of people can do it." In West Bengal, Gandhi attacked the Mamata Banerjee government in the Saradha ponzi scam, and accused it of not taking action against those involved and instead trying to save them.
ALSO READ: Modi uses book to attack Sonia, Rahul
"The government here has not done anything for two years. 20 lakh people have been affected (by the scam)," he said.
"SEBI and Enforcement Directorate told them to take action, but the Mamata Banerjee's government which says it is a government of the poor, is not taking any action. On the other hand, they are trying to save them," Gandhi said.
"But an agency is now probing the matter and everything will come out in the open." Gandhi also alleged that there was a primary school teacher scam in the state in which 35,000 teachers were hit.
"Guidelines are not implemented. Trinamool men are given jobs, but not the right people who are teachers," he said.
"Bada bada bhashan hota hain magar garibo ka kaam nahi hota hai (Big lectures are given, but no work is done for the poor)," Gandhi alleged.
Gandhi also slammed the TMC government on women's security saying that West Bengal topped the list on atrocities against women and rape.
"Women in Bengal are the worst sufferers in the whole country though the state has a woman Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Today, Bengal has emerged the number one state in terms of rape," he said.
Earlier in Nagaon, he also accused the BJP of paying 'lip service to women' and said its posters only carried the picture of Narendra Modi.
"BJP talks about strengthening women. I have seen their posters in Delhi talking about it but there is a photo of one man only ... There is no photo of Sushmaji or other BJP women leaders ... Only of one man," he said.
"BJP workers go to Mangalore and women are beaten up. In Madhaya Pradesh a minister in the assembly says 20,000 women are missing. It is strange that the government does not have a clue where these women have disappeared.
"In Gujarat the entire police force and Intelligence are busy with phone tapping activities and chasing women."
Gandhi said if Congress returned to power, the first thing that would be done by them would be to pass the Women's Bill guaranteeing 33 per cent reservation for women in the Assembly and Parliament. "The Bill has been stalled by the opposition for a long time in Parliament."
