Congress president Rahul Gandhi has sought to portray Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘divisive politics’, destruction of the economy and neglect of farmers as ‘the most anti-national activities’ in the country in recent times.
He was interacting with the media here on Wednesday after addressing a meeting of United Democratic Front leaders in the region.
Mr. Gandhi said “The most anti-national thing that you can do is to divide the country, the most anti-national thing that is done in India today is to create a situation where 27,000 youngsters are losing jobs every 24 hours and crippling our agricultural system, ensuring that thousands of our kisans are committing suicide is anti-national behaviour, and taking ₹30,000 crore and giving it to Mr. Ambani is anti-national.”
The Congress and its allies are fighting the general election on issues such as destruction of the economy and massive unemployment created by the policies of Mr. Modi, the crisis in the farm sector that was driving a large number of farmers to suicide and the corruption that the Prime Minister had personally carried out by giving ₹30,000 crore “stolen from the people” to Anil Ambani as a gift.
Maoists issue
Responding to a question On Mr. Modi’s allegation during election rallies in Odisha and Chhattisgarh on April 16 that the Congress was supporting forces such as Maoists that were breaking the country, Mr. Gandhi said the Congress had an exceptional record in fighting forces that attacked the nation.
Mr. Gandhi said the Prime Minister did not have the guts to face the press anywhere in the country because he had to hide things as he had done things that did not allow him to stand before the media to answer questions.
“Mr. Modi should stop saying excuses and give answers to questions that the nation is asking about unemployment, corruption and destruction of agriculture.”
The Congress president said Mr. Modi should answer “why a man who has never built an aircraft in his life, a man who is kept out of jail by his brother, has been given the world’s biggest defence contract.” Exuding confidence that the Congress and its allies would win the election, he said the Congress was looking forward to forming the next government.
Political violence
To a question on the political violence in the northern parts of Kerala, Mr. Gandhi said all forms of violence came from weakness. The Congress believed in non-violence and strength and did not believe in killing opponents, he added.
Mr. Gandhi addressed 300-odd UDF leaders from the region in the morning and left for Wayanad in a helicopter. He reached here on April 16 night and stayed at the Government Guest House.
Among the party leaders who were present at the meeting were Oommen Chandy, K.C. Venugopal, Mullappally Ramachandran, Mukul Wasnik, Congress candidates in the Kasaragod and Kannur Lok Sabha constituencies Rajmohan Unnithan and K. Sudhakaran respectively.
