Priyanka fires salvos at Modi, Yogi

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday fired salvos at prime minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and accused them of ''ignoring'' the real issues confronting the people.

Priyanka, who was currently on a four-day visit to the eastern UP districts, addressed a series of public meetings in Bhadohi and Mirzapur districts.

She also continued her temple hopping and paid obeisance at the famous Vindhyavasini Temple besides offering 'chadar' at the 'dargah' (tomb) of Maulana Ismail Chishti in Mirzapur.

Sporting a red 'chunri' (a shawl like red cloth worn while performing puja at goddess Durga temples), Priyanka performed the 'puja' at the Vindhyavasini Temple amid chanting of vedic hymns by the priests.

She also wrote her name in a diary, which also contained the names of her grandmother other members of the family, who had paid obeisance at the temple.

''I don't ask for anything from the god...I thank the god for the life,'' she replied when queried on her wish before the goddess.

She said that every section of the people had been facing difficulties under the present dispensation. ''The prime minister claims to possess 56-inch chest.....why don't you (Modi) provide jobs to the youths then?'' she said at Sitamarhi in Bhadohi district, about 250 kilometres from here.

Priyanka also termed Adityanath's claim of all-round development in UP during his two-year tenure as mere ''publicity''. ''It all looks very good from outside.....but you get to know the reality, when you are on the ground....nothing has happened on the ground,'' the Congress leader said.

Her riposte came after Adityanath, at a press conference here on Tuesday, claimed that UP had developed in every sphere during his two-year rule.

Priyanka also lashed out at the BJP leaders for saying that the Congress had done nothing during its 70-year long rule. ''This statement (70 years) is past its expiry date.....the BJP should state, what it has done in the past five years,'' she said.