RAMANATHAPURAM (TN): In a fresh broadside at Narendra Modi and the BJP, Rahul Gandhi today said the country does not need a government that makes “Hindus fight Muslims” and imposes ideas of one state on another and instead looks for a “pro-poor, secular government.”
“You must ensure that a pro-poor, secular government comes to power at Delhi. We don’t need a government that promotes hate and anger. We don’t need a government that makes Hindus fights Muslims,” he said while addressing an election rally here.
The country also does not want a government that “imposes ideas from one state on another,” Rahul said in an apparent reference to Modi’s assertions that the Gujarat model of development would be replicated in the rest of the country once the BJP comes to power at the Centre.
Unlike in the past when it has entered into alliances with the leading Dravidian parties, Congress this time is contesting all the 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Rahul said he was happy that Congress was fighting the elections by itself and there was no need for any compromise.
“I am proud to see our workers all charged up and ready to fight elections and ready to fight under Congress banner.
Now we will not have to compromise,” he said.
Congress’ long-time ally DMK had walked out of the UPA coalition in March 2013, citing the emotive Sri Lankan Tamils issue even as the Dravidian major had spurned the national party’s offers for a pre-poll alliance this year.
Voicing confidence that his party will put up a good show in the April 24 Lok Sabha polls, Rahul said Congress would not confine its fight to this LS polls alone but also fight and come to power in the state in the future.
The party was last routed in the 1967 Assembly elections when DMK under its founder C N Annadurai first wrested power from the national party and has been riding piggyback on either DMK or AIADMK.
Taking a dig at the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate, Rahul said that while Modi talks of the Gujarat model of development, he should witness the Tamil Nadu model, indicating that the southern state fared better, a claim made by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
“Tamil Nadu has not only shown India but the rest of the world what Tamil people are capable of doing. Mr Modi talks about the Gujarat model, may be he should come here and take a look at the Tamil (Nadu) model,” he said. -PTI
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