Violence, Hatred Designed To Distract People: Rahul Gandhi Slams BJP

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the rise in fuel and cooking gas prices in the country, and said the BJP and RSS were spreading hate and violence to distract the people from such burning issues.

Addressing a massive crowd at the famed Thekkinkadu ground in Kerala's Thrissur as part of concluding the evening leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra for the day, Mr Gandhi said the Government of India was running in the interest of five or six of the richest people in the country.

Mr Gandhi said the Prime Minister was asking what the Congress has done for the country in the last 70 years.

"Mr Narendra Modi, we never gave India the level of unemployment that you have given it. We never gave India the highest prices for essential items ever. The gas cylinder used to cost Rs 400 when the UPA government was in power. The Prime Minister went on complaining about the Rs 400 for gas cylinders. But today he doesn't say a word about Rs 1,000 for gas cylinders," the Congress leader said.

He said the country was witnessing a massive increase in fuel prices every day and more money was being taken from the public and given to a few businessmen in India.

"The truth is that the violence and hatred, spread by the BJP, is to distract you. It's designed to distract you from the main issue you are facing which is the cause of tremendous pain for millions of Indians. And the Government of India is not (currently) run for the people of India or the small and medium businessmen or for the labourers or farmers or the youth," Mr Gandhi said.

He claimed that Kerala has the highest urban unemployment rate in India and asked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to address the situation urgently.

"I would request the Chief Minister that he studies and analyses this issue. It's an important issue. I don't say it in a spirit of criticism but I say it in the spirit of concern about the future of the youngsters in Kerala. The government should thoroughly analyse the education system and job creation system in the state," Mr Gandhi said.

He asked Vijayan to initiate a conversation with the stakeholders including students, teachers and experts.

Mr Gandhi reiterated that his party will fight all types of communalism regardless of where it comes from because it is bad and dangerous for the country.

"Division and hatred weakens India and we will not tolerate a weakened India," Mr Gandhi said.

The Congress leader on Saturday resumed the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Perambra near here after a day's rest and he was joined by hundreds of party workers in the march. Today's walk concluded at the Thekkinkadu ground in Kerala's Thrissur.

The Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra will cover 3,570 km in 150 days. It started from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7 and will conclude in Jammu and Kashmir.

The yatra, which entered Kerala on the evening of September 10, will go through the state covering 450 km, touching seven districts in 19 days before entering Karnataka on October 1.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)