Rahul Gandhi said that people of Bihar were yearning for a change.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that people of the state were yearning for a change as he attacked the BJP-led government over transgressions by China in eastern Ladakh and accused it of working for the benefit of select industrialists.
Addressing an election rally in Bhagalpur, he urged people to elect a government of farmers, workers, youth and small shopkeepers and said only that government will be formed in the state which will give employment to youth.
"You have to build Bihar and the key to development is in your hands. You have to decide that the government will be of Bihar's farmers, workers, youth and small shopkeepers. Now only that government will be formed in Bihar which will give employment to youth," he said.
The RJD-led alliance has promised to offer jobs to 10 lakh youth.
Mr Gandhi said he has full confidence that the people of the state will recognise the truth.
"This time Bihar is going to give reply to Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar," Mr Gandhi said.
He accused the Prime Minister of weakening the country in the last six years and of "lying" about transgressions by China in eastern Ladakh.
Mr Gandhi said the Chinese Army has occupied 1,200 km in Indian territory. "Today India is weak and its economy is in a bad state. He should tell when he is going to throw Chinese out of our land," Mr Gandhi said.
He also accused the government of mishandling COVID-19 situation. "PM Narendra Modi had said that India will be free of corona within 22 days. I had been saying since February that the poor, labourers and farmers of India will suffer massive losses due to Corona but I was ridiculed," he said.
"The PM said we will defeat corona in 22 days. How? By clanging utensils and shining the light of mobile phones. You too thought if he is asking, let's do it. It has been 6-7 months, corona is spreading. PM is not speaking a word," he added.
Mr Gandhi said that the Prime Minister announced a 21-day lockdown in March without giving time for migrant labourers to return to their native places.
"Labourers of Bihar were working in different parts of the country for our development - be it Mumbai, Delhi or Punjab. Just like our jawans are standing in Ladakh, the labourers of Bihar were giving their blood and sweat to this nation," he said.
Mr Gandhi said he met labourers amid corona pandemic and they told him that had the Prime Minister given them two days they would have easily returned home. "They couldn't understand why did the PM not give them at least one day," he said.
"You cannot run away from the truth and the truth is that the people of Bihar do not have employment. The truth is that the farmer of Bihar has nothing left, the truth is that the labourer of Bihar is dying of hunger. We understand that if cities have to be protected, then villages have to be protected. I am telling you that if you want to take this country forward, you will have to protect both villages and the cities," he added.
Bihar assembly elections will be held in three phases -- October 28, November 3, and 7 and the counting of votes will take place on November 10.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)