Cong culture anti-thesis of Gandhian thought: PM on Dandi March's anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday used the anniversary of the Dandi March to target the Congress and said the "anti-thesis" of Gandhian thought is the opposition party's culture.

In a blog post to mark the 89th anniversary of the Dandi March, he said, Mahatma Gandhi "taught us to think of the plight of the poorest person" and "we have seen and thought about how our work impacts that person."

"I am proud to say that in all aspects of our government's work, the guiding consideration is to see how it will alleviate poverty and bring prosperity. Sadly, the anti-thesis of Gandhian thought is the Congress culture," Modi said.

 

The prime minister said that while Gandhi did not believe in inequality and caste divisions, "sadly, the Congress has never hesitated from dividing society."

"The worst caste riots and anti-Dalit massacres happened under Congress rule," he alleged in the blog post.

Continuing his attack, the prime minister said though Gandhi held that detachment and staying away from excess wealth was necessary, "all that the Congress has done is to fill their own bank accounts and lead luxurious lifestyles at the cost of providing basic necessities to the poor."

Alleging that Congress and corruption have become "synonyms", Modi said his government has done everything to punish the corrupt.

"The nation has seen how Congress and corruption have become synonyms. Name the sector and there will be a Congress scam -- from defence, telecom, irrigation, sporting events to agriculture, rural development and more," he said.

Modi also claimed that while 'Bapu' (Mahatma Gandhi) despised dynastic politics, "dynasty first" was the way for the Congress today.

Hitting out at the opposition party on the issue of people's rights, he said Gandhi believed that democracy gives the weak the same chance as the strong, but the Congress "gave the nation the Emergency".

"Gandhi ji had understood the Congress culture very well, which is why he wanted the Congress disbanded, especially after 1947," the prime minister said in the post, adding "today we have a government at the Centre that is working on Bapu's path.