Yogi Adityanath launches scathing attack on Cong in PM's home state

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday was at his vitriolic best in his attack on Congress party, calling it a ‘symbol of devastation’ and a ‘Corruption party’. Yogi also did not fail to express his government’s commitment to development (of a Ram temple) at Ayodhya, saying that his government would leave no stone unturned.

Addressing multiple public rallies in South Gujarat as part of Gujarat Gaurav Yatra of BJP, Yogi in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home turn hit out at Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for allegations against BJP, its national president Amit Shah and the Prime Minister. Yogi also touched upon sensitive topics as encounter killings, Ayodhya, Rahul’s temple visits, other than hitting out at Congress on ‘development’ discourse.

"They (Congress) are not for development but devastation. That is why when terrorists like Ishrat Jahan are killed by security forces in Gujarat, Rahul Gandhi comes out to support her," Adityanath said. Ishrat and three other men were killed in an encounter by security personnel on June 15, 2004, on suspicion of a plot to kill the then chief minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi.

"I have come to talk to you about the reality of Gujarat's development, as Congress' prince (Rahul Gandhi) has been trying to confuse you... Their development is their own, that of their family and handful of middlemen, not of the country,” Yogi said. “One who has not been able to lay the foundation stone of Collectorate in his parliamentary constituency of Amethi in UP, despite representing it for last 14 years, will he develop Gujarat?"

Yogi reminded his audience of Prime Minister and BJP president Amit Shah’s visits to flood-affected regions of Gujarat recently, even as Rahul had “fled to Italy”.

The UP chief minister said that recent attempt by Rahul to visit temples to reach out to a core audience of the saffron brigade would not yield results. “He is not even aware of the difference between the posture of puja or namaz...he is just trying to mislead the people.”

He also called upon the people of Gujarat to make the state ‘Congress must’, Yogi said that he would ensure that there would be no Congress representatives to Parliament from Uttar Pradesh after 2019 elections, nor would there be any representative in the state Assembly of Uttar Pradesh. Currently, Congress has two members – Rahul Gandhi from Amethi and Sonia Gandhi from Rae Bareilly – in Parliament. Congress also has seven legislators in 403 Uttar Pradesh Assembly currently.