Varanasi: Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of seeking votes on the basis of “lies”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Friday said the former now does not talk about his earlier poll promises of doubling the farmers’ income and generating jobs.
“Hindu religious books nowhere say to speak lies,” Gandhi told an election rally after offering prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi.
“Not in the name of dharma, rather he is winning votes on the basis of lies,” he added, PTI reported.
Asserted there is “no mismatch” in the words and deeds of his party, Gandhi cited the example of fulfilling poll promises of writing off the farmers’ loans by the Congress government in Chhattisgarh and also procurement of paddy at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 2,500 per quintal.
The former Congress president, who was also joined by his sister and party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple here.
The brother-sister duo reached the historic temple straight from the airport, PTI reported the temple and Congress sources as saying.
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After their temple visit, the duo left for the Pindara assembly constituency on the outskirts of Varanasi where they addressed a rally in favour of Congress leader Ajay Rai, who is in the contest against sitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Awdhesh Singh.
Continuing his outburst against Prime Minister Modi, Gandhi said: “Actually his ‘double engine’ are ‘Adani and Ambani’. This kind of double engine can never provide employment to the people.”
“We have the only leader in the world who asked the people to beat utensils (thali bajao) to chase away coronavirus,” he added taking a jibe at Prime Minister Modi.
Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi in her speech reaffirmed the Congress’ resolve to promote women-centric agendas if the party comes to power in Uttar Pradesh.
Polling will be held in Varanasi in the last phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on March 7.
Voting for the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly is being held in seven phases from February 10 to March 7.
The counting of votes will be held on March 10.