Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having ‘memory loss,’ claiming that he is addressing the same issues that Congress has been raising.
During a rally in Amravati, Maharashtra on Saturday, November 16, he criticized PM Modi for opposing the caste census. He stated, “In Parliament, I spoke and told him that the caste census would be conducted and the 50 per cent cap on reservations would be removed when the Congress-led I.N.D.I.A. coalition comes to power. However, now at election rallies, he is claiming that I am against reservations. Soon, he will likely declare that I am against the caste census as well.”
“The BJP insults our national icons and the people of the country when it says I show a red book of the Constitution,” he said, responding to the saffron party’s claim that the red cover suggested association with “urban Naxals.”
He is suffering from memory loss like the United States President,’’ Rahul Gandhi said recalling the incident when Joe Biden referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Modi is against caste census. If not, they would have done it 5 to 7 years ago,” he said.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said nowhere in the Constitution it is written that state governments can be toppled by “purchasing MLAs” as it happened in Maharashtra, and “Rs 16 lakh crore debt” of top businessmen can be waived.
“Congress considers the Constitution as the country’s DNA, while for the ruling BJP and the RSS it is a blank book,” he alleged.
His retort came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party claimed that the Congress leader was showing a copy of the Constitution with blank pages inside at his campaign rallies.
”I spoke in the Lok Sabha in front of the prime minister that we should remove the 50 per cent cap on reservations and conduct a caste census. Still the PM lies, saying I am against reservations and the Constitution,” the Congress leader said.
“The BJP insults our national icons and the people of the country when it says I show a red book of the Constitution,” he said, responding to the saffron party’s claim that the red cover suggested association with “urban Naxals.”
The Constitution speaks of equitable distribution of resources, the Congress leader said, adding, ”We are following the tenets of the Constitution in letter and spirit.”
Goods and Services Tax (GST) and demonetisation were weapons to kill farmers and small businesses, he said, adding that unemployment is rising and that was why hatred is spreading in society.
”I want to tell Modi ji that industrialists haven’t chosen you to be the PM, it is done by the people of India. It is true that industrialists have marketed him,” he said.
Gandhi alleged that the Maharashtra government was “stolen” through the use of money as it was a “deal” for the Dharavi redevelopment project, awarded to an Adani group entity.
Speaking at another rally at Chimur in Chandrapur district later, he accused PM Modi of promoting the lie that Rahul Gandhi was against the Constitution and reservations.
The nomination papers of 7,994 candidates filed across the 288 assembly constituencies in Maharashtra, where polling will take place on November 20, were found valid after scrutiny, election officials said.
On the other hand, the nomination papers of 921 candidates were found invalid, the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said in a statement.
Polling for the 288-member state assembly will be held on November 20 and results will be declared on November 23.
The ruling Mahayuti alliance, consisting of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), are the main contenders for power though smaller parties and independents are also in the poll fray.
