Rahul Gandhi assails PM; Shah calls him ‘failed leader’

New Delhi: As Congress president Rahul Gandhi launched an all out attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the latter was merely interested in becoming the prime minister again even as the country could burn, girls may be raped and the rights of scheduled castes and minorities be under a threat, BJP president Amit Shah hit back saying it were becoming increasingly clear that the Congress's "Modi hatred" is fast turning into "India hatred." The BJP also termed Mr Gandhi as a “failed leader,” who it claimed was feeling frustated and angered as his ambition and dream of "only one family having the entitlement of ruling over the country" has been demolished. At the Save the Constitution campaign event, Mr Gandhi said institutions such as the Supreme Court were being trampled on and Parliament had been shut down by the government and claimed that if he was allowed to speak for 15 minutes on a host of issues, including the Nirav Modi scam, Mr Modi would "run away." Taking a jibe at the opposition party chief, the BJP said the “man who cannot write two lines without looking at his mobile phone, he wants to speak for 15 minutes.”  The BJP claimed that if there is one political party that has “trampled over the Constitution in letter and spirit, time and again, it is the Congress party” and cited the example of the then Congress government promulgating Emergency in 1975.

Going full throttle, Mr Gandhi alleged that institutions were being packed with people who believed in the RSS's ideology. Quoting from what he described as a statement by Mr Modi, the Congress leader said the prime minister saw spirituality in sanitation work undertaken by dalits but people know there was no place for the community, weaker sections of society and women in his heart. He also attacked the PM over employment and other promises made by him before the last Lok Sabha polls and said Mr Modi would now come up with new promises for votes.  Mr Gandhi said the country will do its Mann Ki Baat in the next elections, playing on the title of the prime minister's monthly radio address.

Reffering to the alleged involvement of a BJP MLA in Unnao rape case, Mr Gandhi said the PM's earlier slogan of Beti Bechao, Beti Padhao (Save daughters, educate them) had  become Beti bachao (save daughters) from the BJP and its leaders.  

Mocking the Congress's campaign, BJP president, said the campaign was a “farce” and a “saving dynasty” drive. Mr Shah also reacted on Congress-led move to impeach the Chief Justice of India, saying the opposition party's campaign was part of a larger conspiracy to “demonize and weaken every institution”.