Congress sounded its poll bugle for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections at the concluding ceremony of the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra at Shivaji Park in Mumbai .
AMN / Mumbai
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday described PM Narendra Modi as a ‘mukhauta’ (mask) saying he works for a ‘shakti’ (force) adding that the Prime Minister is afraid of him because he knows the system and how it works.
Rahul Gandhi was addressing a mega rally of I.N.D.I.A block ay Shivaji ground in Mumbai
Attacking BJP and PM, Gandhi asserted ‘Raja ki aatma EVM mein hain (king’s soul is in the EVM) referring to the EVM controversy in which several opposition leaders claim that the BJP wins the elections after tampering with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
“There is a word ‘Shakti’ in Hinduism. We are fighting against a Shakti. The question is, what is that Shakti. The soul of the king is in the EVM. This true. The soul of the King in the EVM and every institution of the country, in ED, CBI and Income Tax department. A senior leader from Maharashtra left Congress and cried in front of my mother and said ‘Sonia ji, I am ashamed that I don’t have the power to fight this Shakti. I do not want to go to jail.’ Thousands of people have been threatened like this,” the Congress leader said.
Unleashing attacks at PM Modi, he said the PM is just a mask and he does not have a 56-inch chest, he is hollow.
“People are going to BJP out of fear of ED and other probe agencies, Gandhi added.
“We had to undertake this yatra because the communication system of the country, including media and social media, is not in the hands of the country. Issues that concern the public like unemployment, violence, inflation, farmers’ issues, etc. are not being shown. To attract the attention of the country, we had to walk 4,000 kms,” said Gandhi.
Other opposition leaders present at the rally also address the mega rally at the Shivaji Park.
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, while addressing the event, sais BJP is scared of Gandhi.
“…You (Rahul Gandhi) have Gandhi in your name and the BJP is scared of it. Today, I can see people with different thoughts and ideas here, let me tell you this is ‘India.’ The election is all set to begin; the public has the most powerful weapon of the Constitution and that is the ‘vote’,” she added.
NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar said Mahatma Gandhi gave ‘Quit India’ slogan from this city, today they (I.N.D.I.A alliance) should vow to oust BJP from power.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav hailed Gandhi, saying he undertook the yatra to unite the country.
“He (Gandhi) has tried to deliver a message which is quite significant in today’s days…To save India’s Constitution, brotherhood and to defeat hatred, he commenced the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ and for that my heartfelt thanks to Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party.”
In his address Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge described ‘shakti’ as the RSS, its ideology and thought-process. “The ideology of “Manuvad’ has to be defeated,” Kharge said.
Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “The ‘Shakti’ Rahul Gandhi was talking about, I will say openly that Modiji has this Shakti in the form of RSS and Manuvaad… They want to crush us using this Shakti.”
Sharad Pawar: The NCP (Sharad faction) leader recalled that Quit India movement against British was started from the city of Mumbai, so he gave a call of Quit BJP from power.
“There is a need to bring a change. Those who has cheated the country by giving false promises, need to teach a lesson when we will get the power to vote. So many promises were made, but none of them were implemented, such people need to be removed, we will get that right in the coming months so be prepared,” he said.
Uddhav Thackeray: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief said BJP is a balloon and unfortunately, we are one of those who filled the air in it. For PM Modi only he and the chair of the prime minister is his family. “PM Modi criticises all of us as the parties of families. But I want to ask what is Modi’s family. For PM Modi only he and the chair of the prime minister is his family. They want over 400 seats to impose dictatorship in country. But when people unite dictatorship ends. Ab ki baar BJP tadipar,” said Thackeray. Thackeray also criticised BJP for using the word Modi government instead of government of India.