''Chowkidar" has been caught for his "lies": Rahul

Placing Congress as the only party that can fight and defeat BJP, its president Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched his campaign in Delhi saying the "chowkidar" has been caught for his "lies" and his party will not allow Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party to move forward for even an inch.

In a public meeting in Old Delhi's Chandni Chowk, Rahul also targeted AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal for his "U-turn" during negotiations for an alliance between two parties while reminding the party's role in building an anti-Congress narrative in 2014.

The Congress president devoted most of the time of nearly 25-minute speech to target BJP and Modi while explaining his party's promises in the manifesto that included minimum income guarantee scheme 'NYAY', revamping Goods and Service Tax (GST) and plans for generating jobs for youths.

"The chowkidar has been now caught...you have stolen and given the money to Anil Ambani...this chowkidar has insulted his Guru (L K Advani)," he said.

Rahul said NYAY would be like petrol and diesel for a vehicle and it would rejuvenate the economy resulting in traders being benefitted, which results in job creation.

"When the poor people get money, they will have resources to buy shirt, mobiles etc. When they start buying, there will be more demand. Then factory owners will recruit more youth," he said even as he emphasised on another campaign promise on ease of doing business.

Referring to Modi's campaign rhetoric that nothing happened in last 70 years, Rahul said, "yes, in 70 years, we did not have Gabbar Singh Tax, we did not have demonetisation...We will change this GST to have one tax slab. It will be a 'saral' tax."

On Kejriwal, he said he wanted to talk about coalition talks in Delhi and that he told the AAP chief in no uncertain terms that he wanted an alliance where AAP is fighting four seats and Congress three.

"Kejriwal initially agreed but later made a u-turn and wanted to include Haryana and Punjab. Who was fighting Modi in the last five years. Congress has taken on BJP in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Karnataka? Wherever Congress fought Modi, Modi was defeated," he said.

He said Kejriwal should remember how BJP's path was cleared in 2014. "Who lied about Congress. It was not just BJP," Rahul said referring to the anti-corruption movement spearheaded by Kejriwal that resulted in the ouster of UPA government.