Lucknow: Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over ‘raincoat’ remark about former PM Manmohan Singh, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the Prime Minister loves surfing on Google, reading horoscopes and peeping into people's bathrooms.
“Modi likes to read 'janampatri', search Google and peep into bathrooms of people...but he is a failure as PM; he will get a jolt from results of Uttar Pradesh polls,” Rahul said.
Congress and BJP were locked in fiery exchanges inside and outside Parliament over Narendra Modi's remark that one should learn the art of "bathing with a raincoat on" from Manmohan Singh as there was not a single taint on him despite so many scams having taken place during his regime.
“For almost 35 years, Manmohan Singh ji had a lot of influence on country's economic policies. Politicians have a lot to learn from him (Manmohan Singh). So much has happened (corruption scandals) during UPA rule, but there is not a single taint on him. Bathing in a bathroom with a raincoat on is an art only Dr Sahib (Manmohan Singh) can know of,” the PM had said in the Parliament on Thursday.
Continuing his tirade against the Prime Minister, Gandhi said the former resorts to the strategy of 'distraction' when he does not have answers to questions. "Narendra Modi's strategy is distraction...He uses this strategy when he doesn't have answers. Modi ji has failed cent percent in the past 2.5 years," Rahul said.
Condemning the Prime Minister for not fulfilling his promises, Gandhi said, "Prime Minister promised employment to two crore people every year. Not even percent has been accomplished."
Under attack from Congress over his remarks, Modi had also warned the grand-old party that he has a detailed dossier on them. “Hold your tongue, I have your entire horoscope. I do not want to abandon reason and propriety, but if you abandon reason and propriety and speak nonsense, your history will always chase you, your evil deeds, your sins will always chase you,” Modi had said on Friday at an election rally in Haridwar.
Taking a swipe at Modi, UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said, “Anyone's 'janmpatri' is just a click away in this age of Internet. PM and BJP should not mislead people and come forward and tell what they have given to the state which has elected all prominent NDA leaders.”
Rahul and Samajwadi President Akhilesh Yadav released the Common Minimum Programme at a joint press conference in Lucknow.
The programme includes ten points of commitment to the people of Uttar Pradesh, such as free smart phones to youth, employment to 20 lakh youth, loan waiver to farmers, reduction of power tariff, pension schemes for poor, better infrastructure, cycle to girls who will fall under merit list, 33 percent reservation to women in government jobs, free residence to Dalits and backward class poor.
Refuting the speculations of any rift between the Samajwadi Party and Congress, Gandhi asserted both the parties are coordinating with each other. “On 99 per cent of 403 seats there is no problem and issues are being resolved on the remaining seats...we are fighting polls together and it is wrong to say that there no coordination in alliance,” said Rahul.
The Congress vice-president assured that they will develop Uttar Pradesh and bring about a change in the state. “We want a government of the youth and vision...these ten points in the joint programme are foundations of development,” said Rahul.
“No need for emotions and anger...these are elections for growth and prosperity of the state,” Akhilesh said.
To a question on prominent Muslim clerics like Maulana Ahmed Bukhari and Kalbe Jawwad extending support to BSP, Akhilesh said personal issues should not be manifested at the political level.
"One maulana earlier used to seek votes for BJP and is now backing BSP. Is he working towards an alliance between the two parties? As far as the second maulana is concerned you can ask him personally he will give his blessings to the two of us," he said.
To a question on whether this alliance will remain intact in the future too, Rahul said, "This is also an alliance of joint vision. We have not come together just for forming a government in UP but also to transform the state."
Reality is that the voters understand that the alliance is going to sweep these elections and change Uttar Pradesh, he said.
To a question on "lack of coordination" in the alliance, especially on certain seats where both parties are in contest, Rahul said, "On 99 per cent of 403 seats there is no problem and issues are being resolved on the remaining seats...we are fighting elections together...it is wrong to say there is no coordination in alliance."
"We want that the government is a set up of youths with a vision...while other parties do not talk about foundation...these 10 points in the joint programme are foundations of development," Rahul stressed.
"We also want that the state get a government of all and everyone feels that it is their government...we will help farmers and give jobs to youths," he said.
Akhilesh said he was happy with initial voting trend in the first phase of polling. "First votes went to SP-Congress alliance and so the alliance will be ahead," he said.
In a dig at BSP chief Mayawati, Akhilesh referred to statues of elephants and stone memorials built in her tenure and said, "Pattharwali sarkar bhi ab development ki baat kar rahi hai...yeh alliance ka impact hai."
