Rahul attacks Modi, says country's 'guard is a thief'

In a fresh attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that people are now heard saying that the country's "guard" is a "thief".

Referring to Modi's silence on the Rafale deal, Rahul said, Modi used to say that he is country's watchman, not the prime minister. " Lekin ab sab log ek nara bolte hai, "gali gali me shor hai, Hindustan ka chowkidar chor hai (There is noise everywhere, the country's watchman is a thief)."

He was speaking at a pre-poll rally in Sagwara village in Dungarpur district.

Interestingly, a similar slogan "Gali gali me shor hai Rajiv Gandhi chor hai" was used against the then prime minister and Rahul’s father Rajiv Gandhi in the 80's when the Opposition attacked the Congress over the Bofors scam.

In the poll-bound Rajasthan, addressing people in the tribal belt, Rahul accused Modi of benefiting a handful of people only, " MNREGA empowered millions of people by providing them guaranteed employment but this was stolen away from the Modi government. All policies started by the Modi government only benefit a handful of people," the Congress leader said.

Rahul also took a jibe at Modi over "acche din" and GST. "Acche din has only arrived for India's richest. When the Congress comes to power, we will change this Gabbar Singh Tax to GST," the Congress president said.

Raising the farmer issues once again, Rahul urged the prime minister to waive off their loans. "If he can waive off loans worth ₹1,50,000 cr of 15 industrialists, why can't he waive the loans of farmers?" Rahul asked.

Promising more employment opportunities, Rahul said, “We want to see a day when at the back of your mobile phone it will be written 'Made in Rajasthan', 'Made in Dungarpur'.”

This was Rahul's second rally after he launched party's election campaign in Jaipur last month. The Assembly elections in the BJP-ruled state is due later this year.