Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took out a roadshow in the Bihar capital and said if voted to power, his party will provide a government which considered the people as maalik (masters).
Maalik aap ho (you are the masters). When we form the government we will not be asking you to listen to our 'mann ki baat', rather we will always look towards you for your inputs as your mann ki baat based on which our policies would be formulated, Gandhi said upon the conclusion of the roadshow wherein he was joined by local Congress candidate Shatrughan Sinha and alliance partner RJDs Tejashwi Yadav among others.
Modi had promised to the people of India five years ago that he will be against corruption. I challenge Modi to listen to the people of Patna and hear what they have to say about him, said the Congress president before making the crowds chant Chowkidar chor hai a slogan he has been repeatedly using to rankle the BJP over the Rafale deal and the scams which have rocked public sector banks.
Coming down heavily on the Modi government for the demonetization drive of 2016 when Rs 500 and Rs 1000 crore notes were invalidated, Gandhi said pointing towards the dozens of furniture shops situated in the Kadam Kuan area of the city - it is not just farmers, but also small businessmen like these who were hit by notebandi.
Anything of the sort will never be done by us as we will be taking our decisions by consulting the people, taking their feedback about their own needs. We will also reform the GST which at present has created more problems than it could solve, a reason why I call it Gabbar Singh Tax, Gandhi said.
I am told that Shatrughan Sinhas home is just a stones throw from this place. He is the pride of Bihar. You all have come out in huge numbers. Please show the same enthusiasm in voting for him on the polling day, Gandhi said.
The Congress president arrived in the city from Bikram in Pataliputra Lok Sabha constituency where he addressed a rally in support of Lalu Prasads eldest daughter Misa Bharti.
His helicopter landed at the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium in Rajendra Nagar area from where he moved in a procession, perched atop an open roof vehicle with Sinha, Yadav and other leaders by his side and workers from all parties constituting the Mahagathbandhan marching along carrying their respective flags.
Slogans calling Rahul Gandhi the next Prime Minister reverberated as the roadshow moved at a snail pace towards Kadam Kuan, a couple of kilometres from the point where it originated.
As the rally concluded, Yadav raised the slogan 23 May, Bhajpaa gayee (BJP will be gone on May 23) and took potshots at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar saying paltu chacha bhagao Bihar bachao (save Bihar by driving away uncle turncoat).
Sinha, who was visibly moved by the huge turnout, said the crowd today is at least ten times bigger than what was witnessed at the roadshow of BJP president Amit Shah last week.
The BJP, which has become a one man show and two man army, had said that Shahs roadshow was intended to make me show my aukaat (worth). Today, the people of Bihar is showing them their aukaat and they would be doing so again on May 19 when votes will be cast, Sinha who seeks to retain Patna Sahib seat for the third consecutive term, said.
The actor-politician is locked in an intense contest at Patna Sahib seat, that will see voting in the last phase on May 19, with Union minister and BJP candidate Ravishankar Prasad.
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