In a powerful show of opposition unity, Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday kickstarted the Mahagathbandhan's campaign for the Bihar assembly polls from Muzaffarpur, sharing the stage with the coalition's chief ministerial face, Tejashwi Yadav.
The rally, which set the tone for a high-stakes electoral battle, saw Mr. Gandhi launch a blistering multi-pronged attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Nitish Kumar-led government in the state.
"PM Modi Danced, BJP Stole Votes": Gandhi's Sharp Barb
In his address, Rahul Gandhi reiterated his serious allegation of "vote theft" against the BJP, a charge that has become a central theme of his recent rhetoric. He directly targeted the Prime Minister's recent visit to Delhi's Yamuna ghat for Chhath Puja, using it as a metaphor for what he called the BJP's disconnection from the people and their traditions.
“There's no Yamuna there; there's a pond there. Narendra Modi went to bathe in his swimming pool. He has nothing to do with the Yamuna. He has nothing to do with Chhath Puja. He just wants your vote," Gandhi told the gathering.
He further sharpened his attack, stating, “If you tell Narendra Modi to dance. He will dance... they are engaged in stealing your votes.” The Congress leader alleged that the BJP had stolen elections in Maharashtra and Haryana and would "try their best" to do the same in Bihar.
GST and "Made in China" Critique
Shifting to economic issues, Rahul Gandhi blamed PM Modi for crippling small businesses through the twin blows of demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST). He linked this policy critique to the coalition's promise of local employment.
"Narendra Modi ji has destroyed all the small businesses by implementing demonetisation and GST. Wherever you look, it is Made in China," he said, pointing to the backs of mobile phones as an example.
He then laid out the Mahagathbandhan's vision: "We say that it should not be Made in China, it should be Made in Bihar. Mobiles, shirts, pants, all these should be made in Bihar and the youth of Bihar should get employment in those factories. We want such a Bihar."
Constitutional and "Remote Control" Allegations
The Raebareli MP framed the upcoming election as a battle to protect the Constitution of India, which he claimed was under direct attack from the BJP and the RSS.
"Whatever you have got till date, be it vote, education, or health, is because of the Constitution. Narendra Modi and the RSS are attacking it... When they give the post of Vice Chancellor to an RSS man, they attack the Constitution," he alleged, vowing that the opposition would protect it.
In a direct appeal to the core supporters of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), Gandhi sought to dismantle the CM's image as an independent leader, claiming he was a puppet in the hands of the BJP.
“Nitish ji's face is being used. The remote control is in the hands of the BJP... They have the remote controller in their hands, and they have nothing to do with social justice,” he said, asserting that the BJP is controlled by only "three or four people."
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