Modi not 'chowkidar' but 'bhagidar', launches 'jumla' strikes: Rahul
New Delhi, July 20 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the debate on no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha, accusing him of launching "jumla strikes", being a "bhagidaar and not chowkidar" and said he had been benefiting his "industralist friends" while ignoring the youth, farmers, Dalits and women.
After participating in the debate, Gandhi sprung a surprise by walking up to Modi and hugging him after accusing him of "acting out of anger which the whole country was experiencing."
Gandhi said Modi and BJP President Amit Shah act out of fear and cannot afford to lose power "because the moment they lose power, other processes will start against them" but asserted that opposition parties will defeat BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The Congress chief, who spoke for around 45 minutes, said he was very respectful to the BJP and its ideological patron for teaching him the meaning of Congress and being a Hindu and said while they could be angry and call him "Pappu" but he will remove this feeling from them and turn them towards the Congress.
He sought to tear into the BJP's poll plank of national security and said Modi had been "untruthful" on the Rafale fighter jet deal and had "betrayed the soldiers" by not raising the Doklam stand off with China during his visit for an informal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Referring to TDP member Jayadev Galla, who spoke before him, Gandhi said his party was victim of a political weapon called "jumla strike".
"First a great sense of happiness, excitement, then a feeling of shock, then eight-hour long speech. The victims are farmers, youth, Dalits, tribals and women," he said.
Gandhi, whose speech was repeatedly interrupted by BJP members, said Galla had rightly noted that words of the Prime Minister should carry weight.
Throwing repeated barbs at Modi who sometimes smiled, the Congress leader said the Prime Minister had given people "jumlas" by promising Rs 15 lakh in account of people and generating two crore jobs every year.
He also targeted the government over demonetisation and said Congress wanted that there should be one GST rate and petroleum products should be covered in it.
He said Modi had called himself "chowkidar of the country" but he was silent when there was 16,000 time rise in the turnover of a company linked to Amit Shah's son.
Gandhi, who spoke forcefully but with ease, said India is not being able to protect its women for the first time in its history and its reputation was being besmirched.
"There are atrocities against Dalits, minorities and adivasis. People are being killed, beaten up, lynched, exploited, but PM doesn't speak a word. Their minister goes and garlands them (the convicts).
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Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
