Varanasi/Chandauli: Taking Narendra Modi head on, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the BJP's prime ministerial candidate does not understand the strength of India and its people and accused his party of following a politics that was "full of anger".
Also attacking him on snoopgate issue, Gandhi advised Modi to change slogans on his posters where it was promised that he would give power to women, as "he was the person sending police after women and tapping their phone in Gujarat."
Addressing a public rally here after holding a massive roadshow in Varanasi constituency earlier today, the Congress vice president took pot-shots at Modi for his alleged links to Gujarat-based industrial house Adanis.
"We (Congress) want to fulfil your dream. He (Modi) shows dream to Adani," Gandhi said, but clarified that Congress was not against industrialists.
"If the country has to move forward, then there has to be partnership between industrialists and labourers. Everybody will be part of the development, labourers, farmers and workers," he said.
Gandhi said that BJP leaders' speeches were "full of anger, but India works on love and not on anger."
"India is for everybody. It is for Hindus, Muslims, Sikh and Christians. It belongs to every caste and community, poor and rich people and it will remain for everybody."
On Modi, he said, "Few days back, I saw a poster in Delhi which had Modji's image and it was written that "Mahilaon ko main shakti doonga”.
"He (Modi) comes to you and says, you have not done anything. Nothing happened in India for the last 60 years. He asks farmers, workers, what have you done. Says India was sleeping.
"The US presidents understood that India has risen. Traders, farmers, industrialists, workers have took India forward. India has risen like a tiger and Modi comes to you and says make me Chowkidar. Nothing happened in the last 60 years. Modi says he will make the difference," Gandhi said.
Continuing his diatribe against the Gujarat chief minister, the Congress leader said that Modi tells women that they do not have power and he would give them the power.
"He does not have understanding about India. There is no need to give strength to women of India. They have huge strength. Nobody can give strength to the country. It has strength. You have power in your hands, in your heart. Nobody will give you strength from above," Gandhi said.
The Congress vice president said, "You (Modi) send police after woman in Gujarat, you tape phone of woman. You make their conversation listen by police and Home Ministry. You stop that. There is no need to give power. The country has power in itself. You please give this country little respect,"
On the other hand, he said, the Congress leaders "come to you bowing our heads. We understand your strength. We cannot tell you have done nothing in the last 60 years. "We cannot say we will change the country. You will do it. Your power will change it. This is the difference between them and us. They (BJP) make people fight, spread anger. We spread love and compassion."
Attacking Samajwadi Party and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, who also held a roadshow in Varanasi today, Gandhi accused them of stalling women reservation bill.
"We want to ensure 33 per cent reservation to women in assemblies and Parliament. The parties in Uttar Pradesh have been stalling the Bill providing for the reservation. They did not allow it. Our first job will be to ensure the reservation for women. We will open 2,000 police stations only for women.
And we will recruit 25 per cent women in police," he said. He asked the Chandauli's Congress candidate Tarun Patel to "fight for truth, fight for rights of the farmers, labourers and poor people." He also thanked the people of Varanasi for giving him "so much love".
