Taking a potshot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sartorial choices, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asked the crowd at an election rally in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday if they had ever seen Mr. Modi repeating his clothes, contrasting it with his white T-shirt that he sports regularly.
He was speaking at the last election rally in Baloda Bazaar ahead of the Assembly poll in the State on November 17. Speaking in the context of Mr. Modi’s statement that the “poor” are the biggest caste group in India, Mr. Gandhi said, “He says there is no caste in India other than the poor, then how are you an OBC? He travels in aircraft worth ₹12,000 crore, in cars worth ₹10-12 crore, wears suits worth crores. Have you ever seen Modiji wearing the same suit twice?”
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Pointing at himself, he said, “I only wear one shirt.. This white shirt and he.. he wears a new outfit daily.. sometimes a suit, sometimes a shawl.. an achkan (a special type of kurta), dark glasses.. will fly in aircraft.. But when it comes to helping OBCs.. he claims there is no caste in the country,” he said to a roar of applause from the audience.
Mr. Gandhi also hit back at the Prime Minister for mocking him. On Tuesday, wrapping up his campaign in Madhya Pradesh, Mr. Modi called Mr. Gandhi moorkhon ke sardar (leader of fools) for his remarks that Indians are using “made-in-China” phones. Without directly referring to Mr. Modi’s jibe, Mr. Gandhi said, “He is irritated by questions on Adani (industrialist Gautam Adani). He can go on abusing me and as long as he does this, I know I am doing something right,” he said.
PTI adds:
Once OBCs, Dalits and tribals learn about their actual population, country will change: Rahul Gandhi
“Modi ji was elected using the word OBC [on the promise of acting in their interest], and when the time comes to give rights to the OBCs, he says there is no OBC and the poor are the only caste in India.
“We will find out how many OBCs are there. Whether Narendra Modi carries out a caste census or not, the day the Congress comes to power again in Chhattisgarh, a caste survey will start here...the day our government comes to power in Delhi, the first signature will be on the [order directing] caste census,” he added.
It will be a historic decision, the Congress leader said.
“The day the OBCs, Dalits and tribals of this country come to know about their actual population and true strength, this country will change forever. This will be the biggest revolutionary decision after Independence,” he added.
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While Congress Governments waive the loans of farmers, the BJP-led Union Government waives the loans of “big industrialists like Adani”, Mr. Gandhi alleged.
“Wherever we have a government, be it Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan or Himachal Pradesh, I told all the Chief Ministers that the Congress Government will put into the bank accounts of farmers, labourers, mothers and sisters the same amount of money that the BJP gives to billionaires and big contractors,” he said.
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The economy is run by farmers, labourers, small shopkeepers and the youth, Mr. Gandhi said, adding that if the “money goes into Adani ji‘s pocket, Adani ji spends it in America” but if it goes to a farmer, it is spent within the village, and thus strengthens the rural economy”.
November 15 is the last day of campaigning for the second phase of elections for 70 Assembly seats in Chhattisgarh. The first phase covering 20 seats was held on November 7.
