Citing Bihar win, Rahul Gandhi calls for unity to defeat BJP in Assam

Barpeta (Assam): In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused him of only making empty poll promises and creating differences between people in a bid to win elections.

Virtually launching Congress's campaign for the 2016 Assam Assembly elections, Rahul also took a dig at Modi over the defeat in the Bihar polls and asked the people to unite against the BJP.

"One year ago, Modi came to Assam and made big promises. He said whatever came to his mind, that he will bring black money back and put Rs 15 lakh in each Indian's bank account, give employment to the crores of youths in the country."

"People laugh at his promises. Before polls, he makes one Indian fight with another Indian and then tries to win the elections. Before elections, some trouble is always created because if people are united, BJP can never win," the Congress Vice President said.

Slamming BJP, Gandhi said that the party has "only one card -- pitting brother against brother". Referring to the Bihar Assembly elections, the Congress leader said, "Modi went to Bihar and made promises about bringing development there... made empty promises.

"When people of Bihar saw and heard him, they said 'Modi you go back to Delhi. Your hollow promises, your lies we accepted once, but we are alert people, we will not be influenced by you for the second time'.

"The people gave such a drubbing in the Bihar elections that Modi now does not sit in Parliament the way he used to earlier, looking upwards with his chest swollen."

Asking Congress leaders and workers in the state to gear up for the upcoming Assembly elections, he said, "It is very easy to make promises. Modi will come, will make empty promises.

"Ask him in public meetings what happened to the special status, under which money was sent by UPA government to Assam and northeast region, your poll promises, where is the Rs 15 lakh you had promised to give us. He will return to Delhi."

Keeping up the tirade, he charged that "Modi wants to weaken the poor, he wants to make a government of two/three chosen industrialists, he wants to sell the country to two/three industrialists".

He said that Congress wants to make "the poor, labourers and farmers strong as we understand that it is them and the youth who make India. This is the difference between us and them (BJP)".