Launching a scathing attack against the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)’s “char sau par” chorus, Rahul Gandhi today thundered at a rally in Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh: “Aap guarantee kar ke le lo. Narendra Modi Hindustan ka Pradhanmantri nahin banega. Baat khatm ho gai hai (You take this guarantee, Narendra Modi will not become India’s Prime Minister. That possibility is over).”
Addressing a rally along with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh, Rahul rubbed the message in: “The media won’t tell you, but Modi is not going to become the next prime minister. Take it in writing. We have done what we had to. We are working seriously for the last two years. The Bharat Jodo Yatra, Nyay Yatra, meetings of INDIA partners, the joint campaign… we ensured that Modi doesn’t become the prime minister again.”
Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty
While this could just be an aggressive positioning to demolish the perception of Modi’s invincibility so passionately hyped up by the mainstream media which debated the possibility of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) crossing 400 seats more than people’s concerns and miseries over the past few months, Rahul assertion indicated the opposition alliance is confident of causing an upset after the completion of three phases of elections. Modi’s desperate attempts to mislead the voters with his mangalsutra-snatching threat, to create communal tension by his subtle and crude references to Muslims and the latest allegation of tempos filled with cash being delivered to the Congress by Adani and Ambani have obviously failed to dampen the opposition’s spirit.
Confronting Modi head-on, Rahul said, “Modi didn’t take the names of Adani and Ambani for 10 years. He made thousands of speeches without any reference to them. But now he took Adani-Ambani name. When somebody is frightened, he takes the name of a benefactor who can save him. Modi remembered his two friends. He is pleading with Adani-Ambani to save him. He is saying the INDIA coalition has surrounded me… bachao, bachao. I am losing the election. Save me. Adani ji, Ambani ji, mujhe bachao.”
Former finance minister P. Chidambaram also raised this issue, posting this message on Twitter: “Rahul Gandhi is absolutely correct in demanding an enquiry into the Prime Minister’s allegation The Prime Minister had made a very serious allegation: that two prominent industrialists have tempo-filling quantities of cash and they were delivered to the Congress party. Coming from the Prime Minister, this allegation has to be viewed with utmost seriousness. Rahul Gandhi has demanded an enquiry by the CBI or ED. The demand for an enquiry is absolutely justified. Why has the Prime Minister (the Minister for CBI) gone quiet in the last 24 hours? Why has the Finance Minister (the Minister for ED) not responded to the demand for an enquiry? Their silence is ominous.”
Amidst lusty cheering by the crowds, Rahul added: “Modi also knows which tempo delivered the cash. Modi has personal experience… Tempo wallah. Modi and Amit Shah will now try to divert your attention. In the next 10-15 days, diversionary tricks will dominate. You don’t get misled. Only one issue is there in this election; all other issues emanate from that issue. The issue is the Constitution. This book gave rights to the poor, to the Adivasis, to the Dalits, to the women…Whatever they got, from vote to reservation, it is because of the Constitution. The BJP is going to scrap the Constitution. We have decided to protect it. Nobody can touch it because this is the soul of the nation. Modi works for 22 rich people. Modi wrote off Rs 16 lakh crore for the 22 billionaires. These 22 people possess as much wealth as by 70 crore people. That’s Modi’s legacy.”
Talking of Modi’s legacy, Rahul also delved into the tragic Covid period, saying, “When people were dying, there was no oxygen and ventilator in hospitals; Modi asked you to bang thali. But at the same time, he told the vaccine manufacturer – paisa do. Electoral bonds have exposed everything. Modi took crores of rupees from the company that made vaccine. This is Modi’s truth.” Addressing the same rally, Sanjay Singh also referred to Adani-Ambani issue, daring the Prime Minister to act against them if they were hoarding black money. “If Modi knows even the tempo number, arrest Adani, Ambani.”
Akhilesh Yadav didn’t mention the issue but pointed to the BJP’s policy of caste discrimination against the backdrop of reports that a temple was washed after a visit because he is an OBC. Akhilesh said, “The Samajwadi Party made flyovers and expressways. Everybody uses them but nobody washes them.” He also taunted the Prime Minister by recalling his statements like somebody making tea by extracting gas from nullah and radar’s inability to spot aircraft on a cloudy day.
