UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who addressed an election rally after a gap of over two years, made a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Vijayapura on Tuesday and accused him of distorting historical facts for the sake of electoral gains.
Addressing a huge rally in Vijayapura for the first time, Ms. Gandhi accused Mr. Modi of using the great freedom fighters of the country as “pawns of chess” for his political gains. “The country is in a state of shock as wherever Mr. Modi goes he is spreading lies by distorting facts and twisting the history to his benefit”, she said adding whether the distortion of facts for political gains had brought any grace to the Prime Minister’s post.
'Modi, a good orator and versatile actor'
Admitting the Prime Minister was a good orator and versatile actor, Ms. Gandhi however mocked him saying that if his speeches could fill up the hungry stomachs, then she would want him to delivers more such speeches.
She said: “Mere speeches will not treat patients. For that hospitals are needed. Speeches will not empower women, will not get employment to jobless youths and will not provide relief to the farmers. To achieve all these objectives, what needed is strong commitment and honest intentions”, she said.
Mocking Mr. Modi for his silence on various issues, she asked the crowd whether they had ever seen such a Prime Minister who went on and on talking but did not utter a word on real issues of the people.
Giving thumbs up to the welfare schemes of Congress government in Karnataka, Ms. Gandhi said that the government had launched several welfare schemes for all sections of the society.
Alleging that Mr. Modi had not issued adequate funds to tackle drought in Karnataka but had released more funds to BJP-ruled States, she sought to know whether ‘Sab ka saat, sabka vikas’ meant discriminating against States.
Seeking an answer from Mr. Modi on what promises he had fulfilled in the last four years she sought to know his action on the issues of providing employment to youths and helping the farmers, the middle class, women, dalits, the poor and minorities.
'Where is Lok Pal?'
Invoking 12th century social reformer, Basaveshwara, Ms. Gandhi said that Vijayapura being the land of sufis and saints would surely expose every ‘jumla’ of BJP and vote Congress to power again.
Ms. Gandhi asked Mr. Modi if he was so serious about eradicating corruption in the country, why he had not constituted Lok Pal even after four years of being in power.
Without naming the former Chief Minister and BJP State president, B. S. Yeddyurappa and Jay Shah, the son of BJP national president Amit Shah. who have been accused making huge money within a short time, Ms. Gandhi wondered whether it was Mr. Modi’s model of eradicating corruption.
