Rahul Gandhi slams PM Modi, says Chinese troops occupying Indian territory


PTI | Tirupur | Updated: 24-01-2021 21:28 IST | Created: 24-01-2021 21:28 IST
Rahul Gandhi slams PM Modi, says Chinese troops occupying Indian territory
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Continuing to target PrimeMinister Narendra Modi on his second day of campaign in TamilNadu, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday alleged Chinesetroops have occupied Indian territory and the man with ''56inch-chest'' cannot even utter the name of the neighbouringcountry.

Addressing meetings here and in neighbouring Erodedistrict as part of three-day campaign tour of Tamil Nadu forthe assembly elections to be held in the next few months, healso repeated his charge that Modi governed the country forjust five or six business people.

''For the first time, the Indian people can see thatChinese troops have occupied Indian territory. As we speaktoday, thousands of Chinese troops are occupying our territoryand the man with a 56-inch chest cannot even say the wordChina. That is the reality of our country,'' he said.

The Chinese understood that Modi was ''weak and destroyedthe nation's economy and that is why they are inside ourterritory,'' he alleged.

Without any doubt, he said he could tell the people thatChina would have never had the 'guts' to step inside 'Indianterritory' if the economy, farmers and small and mediumenterprises had been strong and if the 'nonsensical GST' anddemonetisation had not been implemented.

The Prime Minister has weakened the country because hedoes not work for the people but only for his five or sixbusinessmen friends and China has 'come inside,' because ofsuch a weakened position, he claimed.

Taking forward his 'Tamil language and culture' pitch toconnect with the people and attack the BJP, the Congress MPsaid he wanted to be the soldier of the Tamil people in Delhiand reiterated that he would not allow the Saffron party todisregard Tamil culture.

He reiterated that his ties with Tamil Nadu wasapolitical, a family relationship and bonded by ''love,affection and blood.'' The Congress leader said he was in the state to helppeople elect a government that cannot be blackmailed by theModi regime and which would protect interests of common man.

On Sunday too, he did not mention ally DMK's name thoughTamil Nadu Congress Committee president K S Alagiri said theparty was an ally of the Dravidian major and united in thefight against the BJP.

Gandhi, who also addressed people from his vehicle atsome places during a roadshow, accused the BJP of trying toimpose one culture one and language on people and relegateTamil to a 'second class place'.

The BJP struck at the very idea of diversity, which is thecountry's foundation, he alleged.

''I understand, accept and respect the Tamil spirit andculture. I am not going to allow the Prime Minister and theBJP to disrespect the Tamil people no matter what,'' he saidin his speeches in English, translated into Tamil.

The next attack was on farmers, workers, weavers andfishermen who form the core of nation's foundation throughdemonetisation, a 'nonsensical Goods and Services Tax,' andthe three farm laws, he said.

Such agriculture laws shattered farmers lives, wreckedhavoc on the 'mandi' system, favoured 'five to six' businesspersons to store millions of tonnes of food grains, healleged. On the top of it all, ryots cannot seek justice byapproaching courts in case of a dispute, he claimed.

After coming up with such legislations, the Modigovernment still claimed these laws were to protect farmers'interests, Gandhi said.

If that was the case, why ''lakhs of ryots'' wereprotesting in Delhi and announced their ''own parade'' onRepublic Day? he asked.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Modi government waivedloans worth about ten lakh crore for big businessmen, theCongress leader alleged and sought to know if advances takenby poor people were written off.

''Today, we have a Prime Minister who is trying to build aroof by destroying the foundation and the walls of thebuilding. People around him are too scared to tell him abouthis own ignorance. Scared to tell him you cannot construct abuilding without a strong foundation,'' Gandhi said.

In a veiled attack on Modi's monthly radio programme, thetop Congress leader said his Tamil Nadu visit was not to tellpeople his 'Mann Ki Baat,' or advise them on what they shoulddo but to listen to them, understand their problems and helpresolve them.

During his tour, he was accorded a warm welcome by partyworkers who played traditional music. While many presented himshawls, some showered rose petals on him.

He also took a traditional Tamil Nadu meal alongwithweavers following an interaction.

An elderly woman applied 'Vibuthi' (sacred ash) on hisforehead as a mark of blessings and several took 'selfies'with him.

The Congress leader paid floral tributes to iconic leaderK Kamaraj, late chief ministers M G Ramachandran, MKarunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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