Dream-maker Modi's model benefits only Adanis: Rahul Gandhi - Times of India

JHANSI: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday borrowed UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav's words and described the so-called Gujarat model of development as a fantasy created to mislead the poor and the innocent. Describing BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as "very good at selling dreams", he questioned how the Adani Group grew from Rs 3,000 crore to Rs 40,000 crore during Modi's tenure in Gujarat.

"We used to run the MNREGA scheme with the amount this 'chowkidar' has given to one company," Gandhi told a rally in Lalitpur.

Describing the 2014 general elections as a fight between two ideologies, he said: "One is of the Congress, which wants everyone to progress irrespective of their caste and creed. And the other is of the opposition, which is of creating a divide between Hindus and Muslims. They don't want the poor and Muslims to progress."

Gandhi promised 25% reservation for women in the police force and special women police stations across the country if the Congress was again voted to power. "We'll push the pending bill on 33% reservation for women in Parliament," he said. The Congress leader also promised a special package for 70 crore people who were above the poverty line but below the middle-class category.

Outlining his vision for the development of Bundelkhand, he said the Congress had planned to install manufacturing industries in the region in collaboration with Japan and lamented "the Centre sanctioned Rs 7,700 crore for Bundelkhand region but the amount vanished from Lucknow..."

Gandhi said during the SP, BSP and BJP regimes people did not get employment. He said the Congress was planning an industrial corridor passing through Bundelkhand. "This will give employment to lakhs of youths...," he said. He alleged over 2,000 people had committed suicide in Bundelkhand due to "hunger and thirst", but the state government did nothing for them.

He said after MGNREGA, the Congress was planning to launch free medical facilities for the poor.