PM suffering from 'crisis of credibility': Rahul in Kerala

Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi on Thursday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he was facing a 'crisis of credibility' and had stopped talking about corruption.

Gandhi, who was on his first visit to Kerala after being elected as the Congress president, was also unsparing of Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah.

At a meeting of party workers, he asked the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist to make its stand clear on its fight against the BJP and 'fascist forces' in the country.

The Congress leader, who was on a day's visit in Thiruvananthapuram, alleged that the prime minister had 'unilaterally' cancelled the Rafale fighter jet deal with France that was decided during the United Progressive Alliance government.

"India is no longer going to buy 136 fighter planes and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) will no longer be the contractor. But the contractor now is going to be a businessman close to the prime minister," Gandhi alleged.

Claiming that Modi had stopped mentioning the word 'corruption' now, Gandhi said, "The Congress had showed the country what BJP chief Amit Shah's son had done."

He attacked the Modi government over demonetisation and goods and services tax and said the country's economy was badly hit by the two decisions.

Gandhi, who arrived in Thiruvanthapuram after a hectic electioneering in Gujarat, said his party had fought an 'extremely aggressive election' in the state.

"At every level, the prime minister tried to distract the people of Gujarat," he alleged.

"Three years after he came to power, the prime minister is facing a crisis of credibility. People listen to his speeches, but no longer believe in what he says," he said.

He also said that the prime minister had failed to live up to his promise to create two crore jobs every year.

The prime minister had also challenged China's dominance in manufacturing, Gandhi said.

"However, today the truth was out. We asked the government some time back how many jobs have been created under the Make-in-India, Startup India and connect India programmes," he said.

While China creates 50,000 jobs in 24 hours, a minister replied in Parliament that 450 jobs were created in India in 24 hours, the congress leader said.

Just like the Kerala government had lost the faith of people, the government of India under Narendra Modi had also lost the faith of the people, he said.

Attacking the CPI-M, Gandhi said, "I want to ask my friends in the CPI-M whether they actually want to fight the fascist forces in the country."

"It is very important that they make their position clear at the national level because not standing against the BJP means supporting the saffron party," he said.

He was addressing congress workers at the formal valedictory function of the one month long 'Padayorukkam' rally led by opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram.

IMAGE: Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi listens to a woman as he meets with the families of fishermen affected by Cyclone Ockhi in Kanyakumari on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo