Congress is symbol of devastation: UP CM Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on 13 October launched a scathing attack on the Congress by terming it as a "symbol of devastation".

Addressing a public rally here, Adityanath censured Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi over his allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"They (Congress) are not supporters of development, but of devastation. That is why when terrorist like Ishrat Jahan was killed by security forces in Gujarat then Rahul Gandhi came to support her," said Adityanath.

Ishrat Jahan, and three other men were killed in an encounter on June 15, 2004 in Gujarat as the security agencies suspected they were on a mission to assassinate then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Continuing his attack on Congress Vice President, Adityanath said that Rahul Gandhi was confusing people of Gujarat during his election rallies.

"I have come here to apprise you about the reality of Gujarat's development as recently Congress' prince (Rahul Gandhi) had tried to confuse you. Today, those people are talking about development in Gujarat who never discussed about development in the country in last 70 years. They might have helped in development of themselves, their family and some of their middlemen, but they didn't help develop nation. Had they developed the nation, then why would Prime Minister Narendra Modi be required to launch Bullet Train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai?" said the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.

In the run up of the next assembly elections in Gujarat, Rahul Gandhi has been targeting Prime Minister Modi and the BJP in his rallies.

After Independence in 1948, the Congress has ruled India for the maximum number of years.

Addressing a public rally in Devgadh Baria on Thursday, Rahul Gandhi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi didn't think of farmers and labourers when all of a sudden he imposed demonetisation on November 8 last year.

The Gandhi scion also alleged that the Centre implemented the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to "literally finish small traders".

Rahul also targeted BJP-led Vijay Rupani Gujarat government for "failing to provide employment to youth" and neglecting development in many parts of the state.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said that Rahul Gandhi is talking about development of Gujarat when he himself hasn't developed his parliamentary constituency-Amethi- in Uttar Pradesh.

"Uttar Pradesh's Rai Barely and Amethi are being represented by three generations of the Gandhi family, but in the last 14 years, Rahul Gandhi never bothered about construction of collectorate in his parliamentary constituency Amethi," said Adityanath.

He further questioned that "the one who couldn't lay foundation stone of collectorate in his parliamentary constituency, will he do development of Gujarat?"

The firebrand UP Chief Minister also praised Gujarat and its development story under Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was the chief minister.

"In the last 20 years, Gujarat has shown the nation and the world the extraordinary development saga. Twenty years back, when there wasn't the BJP government in the state then per capita income was Rs 14000, and now it is more than Rs. 1,41,000. Gujarat is not only the most developed state in India, but it's also the biggest employment provider state in the world," said Adityanath.

He further added that "Gujarat has given the nation and world Mahatma Gandhi, and Sardar Patel. I congratulate Gujarat for giving the country an impressive and competent Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is taking country forward on the path of development".

He also said Gujarat has given BJP President Amit Shah "who has transformed the BJP as the world's largest political party".

He also praised reconstruction of Bhuj and Kutch after the earthquake during the tenure of then Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

"When Gujarat witnessed heavy floods then Narendra Modi and Amit Shah came here but Rahul Gandhi fled to Italy," said Adityanath.

Yogi also alleged "that Congress killed Mahatma Gandhi's ideology and as Mahatma Gandhi had said that the relevance of the Congress had ended after Independence. But, the then leadership of Congress didn't pay heed to Gandhi's advice".

He exhorted the people to make Gujarat 'Congress mukt' (free from Congress).

"Today, there are only two Lok Sabha Members from Uttar Pradesh, but in 2019 there won't be a single Congress MP in the Lok Sabha. Out of 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, there are only seven with the Congress. I want to assure you that in the next Assembly elections, these seven Members of Legislative Assembly won't be able to retain their seats," asserted Yogi Adityanath.

He said that there is pan India perception that wherever Rahul Gandhi goes for campaigning then Congress' defeat is guaranteed.

He exhorted the people to give Congress a 'memorable defeat' because Congress has always been insulting Gujarat's son of soil- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

"When it came to awarding Sardar Patel the Bharat Ratna then the Congress never bothered about it but Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru were awarded Bharat Ratna. Ultimately, due to the efforts of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Bharat Ratna was bestowed upon Sardar Patel," said Adityanath.

The political environment in Gujarat is heating up due to the upcoming assembly elections.

Rahul Gandhi is eyeing to dethrone the ruling BJP in Gujarat. The last Congress government in Gujarat was led by Chhabildas Mehta from 17 February , 1994 to 13 March , 1995. The 14th legislative assembly election in Gujarat is to be held by the end of 2017 as the term of 13th assembly ends on 22 January 2018. 

-ANI