Akhilesh, Rahul believe in development of few, says PM Narendra Modi in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday attacked the ruling Samajwadi Party and its ally Congress, saying they believed in the development of “a few” and saw everything from the prism of votes.

Targetting his rivals, specifically Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, he said like people suffered from ‘motiabind’ (cataract), the SP and Congress suffered from ‘votebind’ as “they can’t see anything unless they see them in the context of votes.”

“As people suffering from cataract can see only after undergoing a surgery, these leaders can see things only when they see votes,” Modi said at a public meeting in his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi after a roadshow.

Accusing the SP government of “bias” in its welfare programmes, he said it believed in ‘kuchh ka saath, kuchh ka vikas’ (support of a few, development of a few) while he believed in everybody’s development as in ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’.

“The SP and the BSP are two sides of the same coin, the former being A (Akhilesh) SP and B (Bahujan) SP,” Modi said.

He also said that Akhilesh and Rahul were “delicate” people incapable of taking hard decisions, while pitching himself as a grassroots leader who can develop the state.

Also read: Battleground Varanasi, day 2: I have inherited nothing, whatever I have got is from the people of Kashi: PM Modi

Taking potshots at the Congress over its run of losses in the recent polls, he said one day, research would be done to find out if it once existed, as it is “disappearing from everywhere.”

While Akhilesh has inherited his political powers from his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, Rahul has got it from “so many of his forefathers”, Modi said while using a local term, ‘ghelua’ (what comes free of cost) for the two leaders.

“They are such delicate people who cannot take hard decisions. They think what if they lose what they got. I have not got anything in inheritance.

“Whatever I have got is due to the blessings of the people of Kashi. I can take hard decisions to rid the country of its problems. I have the courage to do so,” the Prime Minister said.

Demonetisation, he said, has brought the SP, BSP and the Congress on the same side in its opposition while the entire country had supported it.

Reaching out to small traders who are in significant numbers here, he said they would not be touched by his government’s drive against corruption as the politicians and ‘babus’ have looted the country all these years.

Forty seats will go to the polls on March 8, bringing an end to an almost a month long seven-phase elections. Counting of votes is scheduled on March 11.