Congress Tsunami Will Sweep Gujarat Polls

Nov 13, 2017, 02.00 AM IST

Terming the electoral battle between the BJP and the Congress a “battle of truth versus lies”, Congress vice- president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday asserted that his party would sweep the Gujarat Assembly elections in December and that a “tsunami is coming and the (ruling) BJP is scared of it”. On the fourth leg of his three-day pitched regionwise campaigns, Gandhi exhorted the people to demonstrate their anger through votes.

Speaking at a rally in Thara in Banaskantha district, he said, “Show it at the polling booths and to everyone what you feel about GST, note ban and the government taking everyone for a ride on the Narmada dam, and bring about change.” He spoke an entire sentence in Gujarati at a rally, going beyond the cliched Gujarati greeting “kem chho”, and said, “Gujarat ma Modiji aave, Amit Shahji aave, UP na CM Yogiji aave, toye Bhajapa sarkar nahi aave (Narendra Modi, Amit Shah or UP CM Adityanath Yogi may come to Gujarat, but BJP government won’t come).”

Referring to the overall agricultural distress in Gujarat, he said the farmers had done everything for the nation. “You can exempt the debts of big rich industries, but (why) you can’t do this with the farmers?” he asked. The Congress VP has been campaigning in the region since Saturday, after completing similar sojourns in Saurashtra (west Gujarat), central Gujarat and south Gujarat. Rahul asserted again that he would do his best as the Opposition against the ‘Gabbar Singh Tax’ and remind everyone how the note ban “helped thieves turn black money into white”.

Calling the elections a fight of two ideologies, he said, “I had written a letter to Gujarat Congress in-charge Ashok Gehlot not to use such language which denigrates the PM post. This is because PM is the man who represents the country on behalf of its people. I know the kind of comments Modi used for UPA PM Manmohan Singh. But we have decided not to cross the limit when it comes to opposing the PM.”

‘BJP men usurped flood relief money’ The relief that the BJP government had promised to flood-affected people of Banaskantha has not reached them till date, Rahul alleged while addressing a huge gathering in Palanpur, “People of Banaskantha were affected badly by floods. BJP government (at the Centre) had assured Rs 500 crore relief to them. But that has not reached the people.

Whatever little money was dispatched has been received by BJP men only.” In addition to PM Modi’s relief, the State government had announced another Rs 1,500 crore for flood-ravaged districts of North Gujarat. Taking a dig at Modi’s promise to Deesa farmers, he said, “The PM assured the farmers of Deesa that their potatoes would be sold by grams instead of kg, just like gold.

But in Gujarat, potatoes have to be thrown in dustbins.” Rahul also met nomadic tribes living on Deesa highway. Besides Palanpur, he addressed people in Deesa, where he attacked PM Modi over unfulfilled promises and his silence over Jay Shah and Vijay Rupani issues. “SEBI has said that Rupani is ‘beiman’ (dishonest). Why is he not resigning? Modi said ‘Na khaunga, na khane dunga’. But on both these issues, his stand is —na bolunga, na bolne dunga,” said Rahul.

Source: http://ahmedabadmirror.indiatimes.com/ahmedabad/others/cong-tsunami-will-sweep-gujarat-polls/articleshow/61620074.cms