Cong Fields Top Guns for Campaigning in Delhi, Rahul Says PM Can Sell Taj Mahal Like PSUs

New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI) The Congress on Tuesday fielded its top guns, Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, for campaigning in Delhi, with the former party president saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could "sell the Taj Mahal", the way he was selling the PSUs.

While the former Congress president addressed two poll rallies in Jangpura and Sangam Vihar, his sister and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi joined him in his second rally where they launched scathing attacks on Modi and the BJP, besides Arvind Kejriwal and AAP, for "spreading hatred" and doing nothing to provide jobs.

This is the first time in the Delhi poll campaign that top Congress leadership came out to campaign for their candidates. On Monday, only Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh addressed election rallies.

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh said it was a "matter of shame" that despite being educated, youths had to run around for jobs and asserted that "solid steps" would be taken to deal with unemployment if the Congress came to power in Delhi.

Addressing Congress supporters at a poll meeting in Tilak Nagar, he said, "I don't want to condemn any party on this occasion."

"I want to highlight some of the issues which are bothering the youth today. Even after eduction, and spending so much money on it, they have to run around for jobs. It is a matter of shame," he said.

Singh, a noted economist, also said that unemployment rate in Delhi in the last four months was 15 per cent, much higher than elsewhere.

"The Congress is committed to the people and solid steps will be taken to deal with the unemployment issue if the Congress comes to power. Our major thrust will be on employment," he said.

Accusing the BJP and the AAP of spreading hatred in society, Rahul Gandhi said Modi and Kejriwal were not interested in providing jobs to youngsters, but were keen on making one Indian fight another for staying in power.

Addressing his first rally ahead of the polls, he said the current environment in the country, the hatred, the violence and the attacks on women were harming India and people were not benefitting from it.

He hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for not addressing the economic slowdown and the issue of unemployment, but instead, encouraging violence.

"They (BJP) talk about the Hindu dharma, they talk about Islam, they talk of Sikhism. They have no knowledge of religions. In Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism where is it written that attack other people, suppress them," he asked.

What kind of "Hindu dharma" is of Modi and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) because Hinduism talked about taking everyone along, Rahul Gandhi said at the rally organised to garner support for the Congress candidate from Jangpura, Tarwinder Marwah.

"The person who makes 'deshbhakts' (patriots) fight among each other, can he be a deshbhakt," Gandhi asked the crowd.

Referring to coronavirus, he said the countries manufacturing in China were looking at India for taking on the mantle of a leading manufacturer.

"The whole world, except China, wants to invest in India. But when they look at India now, they see hatred, violence, rapes, goondaism, killings. Wherever you see in the last five years, one Indian talks to another Indian with hatred. This is not our history. This is a country of love," Rahul Gandhi said.

He accused the government of selling state enterprises such as Indian Oil, Air India, Hindustan Petroleum and the railways as well as the Red Fort.

"He (Modi) may even sell the Taj Mahal," the former Congress chief said.

Training his guns on Kejriwal, he alleged that Modi and Kejriwal could only think about power and said, "They can announce anything in two minutes to stay in power."

Priyanka Gandhi attacked the prime minister over the issue of job losses and took a dig at his "sanyog-prayog" remarks on Shaheen Bagh, asking whether the rise in unemployment was a coincidence or his experiment.

"When PM comes to give a speech in front of you, he does not even make a mention of it. Can he tell us whether the job losses was 'sanyog or prayog'. Can he tell us that in 35 years, the unemployment rate is the highest, 'ye kya sanyog tha, ya prayog tha unka'? (Was it coincidence, or his experiment)," she said at a joint rally with Rahul.

Attacking Modi, Priyanka Gandhi said the prime minister says that the opposition does not allow him to work, but he is still working at a fast pace.

"This is true that state firms are being sold at a fast pace. They sold LIC, BPCL, Air India, BSNL and our even planning to sell railways. Really, his pace is really fast," the Congress leader alleged.

She also attacked Home Minister Amit Shah, saying that he has said, "We (the BJP) will make Delhi like UP."

"I am the Congress general secretary of UP, let me tell you what he has made of UP. It was a state that had the most potential. What is the state of affairs now? The BJP government has harassed people," she alleged.

Priyanka Gandhi also slammed AAP, alleging that it is claiming credit for the work done by former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi invests Rs 5,200 crore in publicity, Arvind Kejriwal is not far behind and has spent Rs 611 crore for Delhi polls," she claimed.

"What is the need for publicity if work is doing the talking for them," Priyanka Gandhi said, adding they are doing so because they have done less work.PTI VIT/GVS/KND ASK SKC

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