Kochi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi sounded poll bugle in Kerala on Tuesday unleashing a broadside against the Modi Government at the Centre and the Pinarayi government in the state.
He promised the rule for the common man unlike Modi’s government for his “15 rich industrialist friends”.
Addressing 25,000 booth presidents and an equal number of women vice-presidents at the leadership conclave at the sprawling Marine Drive grounds, he asked the state Congress leadership to give more representation to women and youth and promised to field more such faces in the ensuing national elections.
He said that Congress once in the saddle will ensure the passage of Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament.
Reiterating his promise of a minimum income for every Indian deposited in their bank accounts, he said the GST would also be revamped.
Calling Mr Modi a liar who made big promises but delivered nothing, Mr Gandhi said that all institutions crumbled under his rule when even four Supreme Court judges held a press conference to say that they are not able to function freely.
“The CBI chief is sacked at 1.30 in the night. When Supreme Court appointed a CBI chief again, he got sacked again. The CBI chief was changed by the corrupt Prime Minister to save himself,” he said referring to details on Rafale deal as well and saying that even former defence minister Manohar Parrikar too had said that the deal was to help Mr Modi’s friend Anil Ambani. He accused Mr Modi of weakening the Land Acquisition Act. He promised low-cost, high-quality education and health care for the poor and every assistance for the farmer and to overtake China in manufacturing if voted to power.
Without directly referring to Sabarimala issue, he said that Congress respected women’s rights as well as the rituals of communities and that Pinarayi government divided the people who showed unusual consolidation and oneness in the wake of the August deluge which he described as human-made floods.
“Both BJP and CPM are preaching violence and dividing people while Congress stands for amity,” he said adding everybody hoped the Pinarayi Government to rebuild the state after the floods but it did nothing. He asked party workers to use the app Shakti to air their opinion as the polls approach.
Mr Gandhi also honoured the president of the host Marine Drive booth Rosy Stanley. KPCC chief Mullappally Ramachandran presided over the function in which a galaxy of Congress leaders including CWC members A. K. Antony, Oommen Chandy and K. C. Venugopal, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala and AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik attended.
