'Modi failed to fulfill promises made in Lok Sabha polls'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failing to keep promises made during Lok Sabha elections and said his actions will hasten Congress’ return to power.

“He had promised to bring down prices. From Rs 70 per kg, the price of dal has gone up to Rs 200 per kg... there was a time when people said ‘dal-roti khao prabhu ke gun gaao’.

“Now Modi wants them to sing ‘dal-roti mat khao prabu ke gun gaao’ so that the five-year rule of National Democratic Alliance ends fast and Congress returns to power,” the Congress vice-president said addressing an election rally.

He said though Modi had been in power for over a year now, prices of essentials have gone up instead of coming down.

“He had promised to give employment to youth. Have any one of you been given employment?” Gandhi asked.

Referring to the issue of Indian blackmoney stashed abroad, he said the prime minister has also failed to fulfil his another promise of bringing back the money and “transferring Rs 15 lakh each” from the recovered amount to the bank account of every citizen.

He attacked Union Minister V K Singh for his remark that ‘if someone throws stones at a dog, the government is not responsible’”.

The comment was seen as insensitive, as the minister was responding to questions on the killing of a two-year-old boy and his 11-month-old sister, who died after their home was set on fire allegedly by members of an upper caste in Faridabad.

“The two children were not dogs, they were citizens of the country, they were future of India,” Gandhi said without naming Singh.

He also charged the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh with targeting people from Bihar in states like Maharashtra.  

Taking a dig at NDA government’s ‘Make in India’ campaign, he said the lion depicting the campaign has failed to give jobs to the people. “It has only given contracts to Modi’s friends,” he alleged.

The Congress leader hit out at the PM for his remarks that no development has taken place during Congress’ rule at the Centre, saying the world today recognises India as a “developed country”.

“That has happened in the past 70 years. By saying no development has taken place, he is not questioning the Congress, but the strength of India,” he said.