Narendra Modi targets Gandhi family, says India has an 'RSVP' model

NEW DELHI: Targeting the Gandhi family, Narendra Modi on Saturday asked Rahul Gandhi to explain the 'RSVP' model. Speaking at an election rally in Bihar, Modi said, "You talk about Gujarat model, explain 'RSVP' model. Rahul, Sonia, Vadra & Priyanka. This is India's RSVP model."

Modi said the country cannot be run by "remote control" and the mother-son duo will have to pay a "price" for running the UPA government from behind the scene. Modi said the electorate in 232 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, where voting has already been completed, has voted against the UPA government.

"It is now the responsibility of the voters to ensure that BJP wins 300 seats so that a strong and stable government can be formed at the Centre," he said.

Rahul Gandhi too accused the BJP and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi of instigating people to divide the country like the British.

At a rally in Nagaon, Rahul said, "Like the British Raj, the opposition and Modi also believe in the divide and rule policy. Modi goes to Maharashtra and instigates people there, women in Karnataka are beaten up."

Taking potshots at Sonia and Rahul over the claims made in a book by the Prime Minister's former aide, Modi said, "It is clear (in the book) who was the actual PM. What Manmohan Singh says does not matter. Both mother and son have to pay a price for this," he said.

"The book 'The Accidental Prime Minister' by Sanjaya Baru has brought to fore what we (BJP) have been saying for so long - that mother and son were the primary decision makers and Manmohan Singh was just a facade," he said.

Countering Narendra Modi's attack on graft issue, Sonia Gandhi said those levelling allegations against Congress were "neck-deep" in corruption and challenged BJP to tell what action its governments in states had taken to punish the people involved in scams.

Campaigning for Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, the Congress president struck a personal note saying her son has worked with "dedication and hard work" in the "karmabhoomi" of Gandhis and acknowledged the "affection" shown by the people of the constituency towards Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi.

(With inputs from PTI)