BJP following politics of anger, Gujarat model not needed: Rahul Gandhi

SONITPUR: Rahul Gandhi today accused BJP of unleashing the " politics of anger" before elections by pitting Hindus against Muslims and the rich against poor and said the ' Gujarat model' cannot be imposed on the country.


Terming as "marketing exercise" media reports of a likely BJP victory in the polls, Gandhi said this balloon floated by BJP will burst when votes are counted as it did in 2004 and 2009 when Congress had been written off by pollsters.

"BJP's politics is about two things. First, pit Hindus against Muslims, the rich against the poor and people of Maharashtra against those from UP. Just before the elections, riots started in UP.

"Second, they fail to see the pain of the poor. So they talk of things like 'India Shining' which I will never because I meet you everyday and understand your suffering," he told a public meeting.

India Shining was the campaign theme of the then NDA government in 2004 elections in which it was roundly defeated.

Congress, he said, believed in politics of love and empowerment of the poor.

It is the poor who will burst the BJP's marketing balloon this time too, he said.

He also took on BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi over his claims that Gujarat feeds milk to the entire country, saying the state has had big dairy produce since 1950s and he deserves no credit for it.

BJP, he said, believed that one Gujarat model can be replicated across the country but it was not so and added that different states need their own models specific to their needs.

"Assam does not need Gujarat model. It needs Assam model... BJP think one ideology can run the entire country but the truth is that this country is not made of one thought or ideology but of thousands and lakhs of thoughts," he said.

Congress, he said, would focus on the needs of 70 cr Indians, who are presently below the middle class level, and work for their development and prosperity.