Rahul Gandhi addressing the rally at Bardoli in Gujarat
Rahul Gandhi today attacked his arch rival Narendra Modi who is known to flaunt his modest beginnings as a tea seller.
"The entire India does some work. Some make tea, some drive taxis, some are farmers. We need to respect everyone. But don't respect those who take you for a ride," the Congress vice-president said at a rally in Mr Modi's turf today. (
Highlights of Rahul Gandhi's speech)
The BJP is holding a nationwide 'chai pe charcha' (discussion over tea) to capitalise on Mr Modi's humble origins as well as blunt the oppositions' repeated taunts over it.
Addressing a rally at Bardoli, a tribal dominated area in south Gujarat, the 43-year-old Congress leader today launched a scathing attack on Mr Modi over Sardar Patel's legacy that is now being claimed by both the Congress and the BJP.
Bardoli is famous for Sardar Vallabhai Patel's civil disobedience campaign against the British.
"They have no understanding of Sardar Patel's ideologies but they say they want to make a statue," Mr Gandhi said today.
Mr Modi is building a statue in the middle of the Narmada river that he vows will be the world's largest. The BJP recently launched a programme aimed at collecting iron implements from every village in the country for the statue. Sardar Patel is known as the "Iron man of India."
"Political leaders in Gujarat don't read history. They are distorting facts about Sardar Patel... He asked for ban on RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) which was behind Mahatma Gandhi's assassination," the Congress leader said.
Hours later, Mr Modi hit back at Mr Gandhi at a rally in Guwahati. "Congress had forgotten Sardar Patel. We forced them to remember him after 60 years," he said.
Mr Modi is the BJP's prime ministerial candidate for the national elections due by May. Though Mr Gandhi has not been named as the official candidate for the top post by his party, senior leaders are clear that he will be PM should it retain power at the Centre this year.