Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi addressed a public meeting in Kerala's capital of Thiruvananthapuram today in which he slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP government for creating animosity between communities.
"I noticed one thing you have done. Wherever there are elections, there is violence -- in UP, Maharashtra, Jharkhand. So what is the agenda of the NDA? Basically, not to give power to people, to make communities fight each other," alleged Mr Gandhi.
"Nothing concrete will happen, but whatever animosity can be spread among communities, it will spread. Congress party's job is very clear -- to bring people together, to create harmony," he added.
Mr Gandhi also slammed the Prime Minister for failing in the government's promises to bring back black money.
"Prime Minister promised that within 100 days of taking over office, he would get back Rs 15,000 for each individual, but till now hasn't brought back even a single rupee," said Mr Gandhi.
The meeting that Mr Gandhi addressed was also the concluding ceremony of Congress state president VM Sudheeran's mass-contact programme. Mr Gandhi commended the party leadership in Kerala for taking up social issues like drug and alcohol addiction and working towards a non-violent Kerala.
Mr Sudheeran had begun his Janapaksh yatra on November 4 from Kasargode in northern Kerala. The mass contact programme was launched ahead of the local body elections next year and Assembly elections in 2016. The concluding session had Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and former Congress state president Ramesh Chennithala giving a call to its workers for a united Congress in the state.