Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said he aims to put an end to hatred in the country and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to be defeated at the Centre for the purpose.
Addressing an election rally at Nampally in Telangana, he alleged that RSS, Modi and "hardliners" have spread hatred in the entire country, PTI reported.
Congress coined a slogan of "opening a 'mohabbat ki dukaan' (shop of love) in the 'nafrat ke bazaar' (market of hate)" during his Bharat Jodo Yatra, he said.
He added that as he fights Modi, 24 cases have been filed against him in various states—and the courts summon him from time to time.
"First time, for defamation, I got two years' punishment. My Lok Sabha membership was cancelled. My government house was taken away. I said I don't want it. My home is in the hearts of the crores of poor people in the country," he said.
An MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh on Monday summoned Gandhi in a 2018 defamation case over alleged "objectionable" comments he made against Union minister Amit Shah.
Rahul Gandhi made no reference to the UP court summoning him in his speech in the rally at Nampally here.
"The fight is ideological and I cannot compromise on it," Gandhi said.
Attacking AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, he asked how many cases are there against him.
Claiming that agencies like ED and CBI are behind himself all the time, Gandhi asked if any agency is behind Owaisi.
The question arises why there is no case against Owaisi, and the answer is that the AIMIM president helps Modi, he claimed.
He also accused AIMIM of fielding its candidates to damage the Congress and help the BJP in various states.
My aim is to erase hatred in the country and, for that, Modi should be defeated in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi said.
If Modi is to be defeated in Delhi, BRS President and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao should be defeated in Telangana first, he said.
He alleged that the BRS, BJP and AIMIM are working together, and pointed out that the BRS had supported the Modi government in Parliament.
He also sought to know if there are any cases against KCR. "He (KCR) runs the most corrupt government," he said.
Agencies like ED, CBI and IT are not behind KCR or AIMIM, he said.
Later Rahul Gandhi and his sister Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra participated in a roadshow in Malkajgiri near here.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra urged the people to elect the Congress to power and promised to implement the party's six guarantees in the state.
"If you want a lazy and corrupt government, then vote for the BRS and if you want a good and honest government, then elect Congress," she said, appealing to the people to give Congress an opportunity and oust the BRS government, "which is being run from a farmhouse".
She asked the gathering if they want a 'dorala government (run by feudal lords) or 'prajala' (people's) government.
Speaking on the occasion, Rahul Gandhi said that once the Congress comes to power in Telangana, it would ensure that poor people get back the money "taken away by KCR" from them, in their bank accounts by implementing its promised welfare measures.
Telangana is going to witness a 'toofan' (storm) of support for the Congress, he said and expressed confidence that the people would ensure the party's victory.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi also held an interaction with gig workers, civic workers and autorickshaw drivers.
He said the Congress's manifesto has promised to set up a welfare board and provide Rs 12,000 financial assistance for auto-rickshaw drivers, as well as implement a single permit policy and settle pending traffic challans on a 50 per cent discount.
Later, he also took a ride in an autorickshaw in the city.
He promised insurance and a welfare board for gig workers as well, and said the city’s civic sanitation workers would be regularised and given timely salary increments.
The Congress party, which is hoping to come to power in Telangana, ended its poll campaign for the November 30 assembly elections in the state with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacking the ruling BRS and BJP, alleging that the parties have a "tacit understanding" between themselves.
The siblings had offered prayers at the historic Ramappa Temple in Mulugu district on October 18 before kickstarting the Congress campaign and launching a bus tour 'Vijayabheri Yatra'.
