Rahul Gandhi worried about sinking base of Congress, not farmers, retorts BJP

NEW DELHI: BJP today said that Rahul Gandhi was concerned about nothing but the sinking base of Congress and was practicing politics of "lies and accusations" after the Congress leader attacked the Centre over land bill and corruption.

BJP trained its guns on Gandhi after the Congress leader, during his 'padyatra' in Rajasthan, questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over recent controversies like Vyapam scam and Lalit Modi row.

"Rahul Gandhi is not concerned about the land of farmers but about the sinking base of Congress. People wanted a change and they voted for Modi to bring this. The Centre is moving in a new direction to bring this change.

"Rahul is gripped with negativity and that is why is he is doing politics of lies and throwing muck at us," Shrikant Sharma, BJP secretary and its media department head said.

The problems Gandhi talks about have been passed on to the BJP government from the previous Congress dispensation, he said. "If he was concerned about solving these issues, then Congress would have played the role of a constructive opposition. But he is not honest about them."

Initiatives like land bill have been taken up by the government to ensure development of villages and poor, Sharma said, adding that Congress spoke about the destitute all the time but did nothing to end poverty when it was in power.

With Congress making it clear that it will take on the government in Monsoon Session over these issues, Gandhi today said his party would not allow the NDA government to acquire "even an inch of land" as he stepped up his campaign on the land bill issue with a foot-march in Rajasthan.

He also attacked the BJP governments over the issue of corruption.

"The Prime Minister said he won't allow corruption (na khaunga, na khane dunga). He never said that I will stay quiet," Rahul said raising the issues of Vyapam scam and Lalit Modi controversy. He also accused the NDA government of denying rights to the poor, farmers and tribals.