People of UP will not buy your lies: Rahul, Akhilesh to Modi

Kanpur: With the first phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly polls barely a week away from commencing, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday retorted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'SCAM' barb, stating that a person "who is involved in scams sees scam everywhere".

"Modi ji has come up with a new scheme-SCAM. The person who is in involved in scams, sees scams everywhere," Rahul said while holding a joint rally with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur.

Replying to Modi's SCAM remark, he spelled out the acronym of SCAM, stating that the Samajwadi party-Congress alliance abides by it.

"I'll reply to PM Modi's SCAM remark. It's Seva (Service), Bahaduri (Courage), Shamta (Ability) and Modesty," he said.

Further taking a jibe at the Prime Minister, the Congress vice-president said people of Uttar Pradesh will make the former realise how the demonetisation had affected them.

"After the Uttar Pradesh polls, Prime Minister Modi will realise what the people think of demonetisation. People of UP will not buy your lies," he said.

"The Prime Minister says that he is against corruption. But after demonetisation, there was not a rich man in the queue; no 'suit boot' person was seen. The farmers don't take cheques, they take cash. He has created problems for the poor," he added.

He said Prime Minister Modi stopped talking after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost in Bihar and the same will follow in Uttar Pradesh.

"After his defeat in Bihar, Prime Minister Modi stopped speaking about Bihar; after his UP defeat he will never speak about UP again," Rahul said.

Speaking earlier at the rally, Akhilesh also took the Prime Minister apart on the 'SCAM' remark, saying, "You all must have been hearing what the senior BJP minister said about removing SCAMs. He also named buaa (Mayawati) in his speech. Even we want to get rid of scams. We want to save the country from Amit Shah and Prime Minister Modi."

Referring to the Prime Minister's decision to demonetise currency notes, Akhilesh said, "In the name of acche din, people were made to stand in queues for long hours."

The people of Uttar Pradesh will be voting for a new government in seven-phase elections between February 11 and March 8.

The Congress will be contesting in 105 seats and the Samajwadi Party will be contesting in 298 seats out of the 403 assembly seats.