Taking a dig at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that a leader who hasn’t read about Sardar Patel’s views and opinions, is building his statue.
Gandhi, who had earlier met ex-servicemen in Tanda area in Kangra district, said, “They (ex-servicemen) thanked me for ‘One Rank, One Pension’ but I feel that I should be the one who should thank them for what they have given to this country. I had just raised the issue, but the work was done by the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi.”
He also took a jibe at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and said that Sardar Patel had called it ‘poisonous’.
“He had said that this organization and its ideology can destroy the whole country. It was the opinion of Sardar Patel,” added Rahul.
In an apparent reference to Narendra Modi, Rahul said, “Now, there is one leader, who had devoted his life to the RSS, is now building a statue of Sardar Patel. I think, he hasn’t read about Sardar Patel’s views and opinions. They have nothing to do with the history.”
He further said that the opposition claims that the Congress has done things for the poor but they are the ones who have built the roads.
“The truth is that the UPA has built three times more roads than what was built during the NDA regime,” he said.
He reiterated that when Rajiv Gandhi was talking about the computers and mobile phone, the BJP opposed it saying that it will lead to unemployment in the country.
“They said that if computers are introduced, then people will lose their jobs. The country will suffer huge losses. They said that nothing will happen because of computers. But after the computer s were introduced, they claimed in one rally that it was them who brought it in the country. They claimed that telephone was introduced by their party,” he added.
He also counted out the achievements of UPA Government and said that the party has implemented crucial bills like Right to Information, MNREGA and the Food Security Act. (ANI)