File photo of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi
today joined his sister Priyanka Gandhi in attacking
Narendra Modi over the 'snoopgate' controversy, saying the Gujarat government has no regard for women as it gets their phones tapped.
(Throw out netas who tap women's phones, says Priyanka)Addressing an election rally at Hargaon, he alleged that Modi gave 45,000 acres of agricultural land to an industrialist though no industry has been set up there till date and claimed farmers in Gujarat would have starved to death had the Centre not implemented MNREGA.
"The Gujarat government has no regard for women as they get their phones tapped while Congress respects women and believes in empowering them," the Congress Vice President said. (Also Read:
Gujarat development model a 'toffee model': Rahul Gandhi)
Priyanka Gandhi yesterday took on Mr Modi by raking up the 'snoopgate' controversy surrounding him and said leaders who indulge in wrong acts against women should be "thrown out".
The BJP reacted by accusing the Congress of being confused about its poll campaign and strategy and said its top leadership continued to launch personal attacks on BJP leaders while resenting such attacks on their own leaders. (Also Read:
Stop personal attacks on Modi too: Jaitley)
It was alleged that Gujarat authorities had carried out illegal surveillance on a young woman in 2009 on the direction of Mr Modi, a charge rejected by the BJP.
The Union Cabinet had on December 26 last year decided to set up the Commission of Inquiry to probe into the Gujarat 'snoopgate'. The decision was taken under the Commissions of Inquiry Act under which the Modi government has already set up a similar panel.
"Modi who wants to guard the country sidelined senior BJP leaders like Jaswant Singh and L K Advani," the Congress Vice President said at the rally today.
Continuing his tirade against the "Gujarat model" of development, Rahul said, "If the UPA government had not implemented NREGA, farmers of Gujrat could have died of hunger".
Criticising the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh, Rahul said youths from the state go out in search of employment and when they go to Maharashtra they are beaten and forced to go back home by the Shiv Sena and the BJP.
Also targeting BSP supremo Mayawati, Rahul accused her of robbing the land of poor farmers and amassing wealth during her regime.
Rahul, who was campaigning in support of party candidate Jitin Prasad from Dhaurara and Vaishali Ali from Sitapur, promised to stop 'money drain' to China and assured the people that goods made in Dhaurara and Sitapur will be exported if the Congress returns to power.