The Congress party’s ace in the hole Priyanka Gandhi Vadra finally came to the fore on Friday, attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an ‘outsider’ superfluous to the fortunes of Uttar Pradesh.
“The Prime Minister said he has been adopted by Uttar Pradesh. But let me ask you, does UP require adopted sons for its development? UP doesn’t need an adopted son to do good for the state. Rahul Gandhi and Akhileshji are two sons of UP” Priyanka said at a rally in the Gandhis’ home turf of Rae Bareli.
“Every youth of the state can become a leader and work for its development. Vote for the one who wants to work for you, not the one who makes false promises,” she added.
Interestingly, Priyanka was seen on the dias with Rahul a day after Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani targetted her, saying she will have to face questions from Amethi residents if she came visiting for campaigning.
“If she (Priyanka Gandhi) comes to campaign here, she has to answer the people’s questions,” Irani said when asked about Priyanka’s reluntance to join election campaign in Uttar Pradesh.
With his sister and party’s star campaigner Priyanka Gandhi on the dais with him, Rahul accused Modi of making “hollow promises” as he addressed a public meeting here in the constituency represented by his mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
“He (Modi) makes relationships wherever he goes…He went to Varanasi and termed Ganga as his mother and said he was the son of Varanasi…In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, he promised to change Varanasi,” he said.
“Modiji, rishtey bolney sey nahin, nibhaney sey bante hain (relationships are not developed just by talking but by nurturing),” Rahul said.
He said Modi has been going about making promises wherever he goes. “In Bihar (elections), he promised to give special package, was it given?.. I have a list of things that he promised for Varanasi – clean Ganga, ghats, ring road, free WiFi, Bhojpuri Film City. Modiji, you have not even fulfilled the promises you made to your mother,” Rahul added.
Pointing towards the journalists present at his rally, the Congress leader said, “I urge friends from the media to go there (Varanasi). I know you are under pressure, but please do your job. Show us if the film city has come up (in Varanasi).”
