Your highness, it is the cries of people: Rahul Gandhi to PM Modi over bachao bachao jibe
Congress president Rahul Gandhi reacted sharply to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘bachao bachao’ jibe at the Opposition, saying the cries of help were of the people “begging” to be freed from “tyranny and incompetence”.
On January 19, 23 opposition parties came together in a show of strength for the mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the rally organised by Trinamool Congress (TMC) and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata. On the same day, PM Narendra Modi was addressing a rally in Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
PM Modi, reacting to opposition unity in Mamata’s rally, told the audience then that “they [the opposition] are so afraid of us, because we follow the path of truth, that they have gathered parties from across the country and are crying ‘bachao , bachao, bachao’ (save us)”. PM Modi said the mahagathbandhan was an alliance of those who were angry at his stringent action against corruption as they had been stopped from looting public money.
To this, Rahul Gandhi responded on Twitter, saying the cries of help are not of the Opposition but the voice of the people suffering under PM Modi’s rule.
“Your Highness, The cries for help are the cries of millions of unemployed youth; of farmers in distress; of oppressed Dalits and Adivasis; of persecuted minorities; of small businessmen in ruin; begging to be freed from your tyranny & incompetence. In 100 days they will be free,” Gandhi posted on Twitter.
Rahul Gandhi has sharpened his attack against the Modi-led government at the Centre over a string of issues including Rafale deal, CBI row, farmers issue and unemployment in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Rahul Gandhi gave a miss to Mamata’s rally in Kolkata on Saturday. However, he sent two of Congress representatives — senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge and party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi to extend his support.
Meanwhile, National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also took a swipe at PM Modi on Twitter: “24 hours later the PM is still talking about #UnitedIndiaAtBrigade. Must say I’m surprised! I’d have thought he’d want people to forget the display of strength on @MamataOfficial didi’s part.”
