BENGALURU: Fighting incumbency in Karnataka, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday held a press conference, trying to bring down the walls of defence erected by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP members.
"Yes, my mother is an Italian. But she is more Indian than many other Indian people I have seen. She has worked, suffered for the country," said son Rahul, a day after Modi attacked former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
The Gandhi scion also questioned the Prime Minister's agenda in the recent meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“The Prime Minister met Xi Jinping in China without any agenda. We had an agenda and it's called Doklam. Our foreign policy has been decimated because he uses foreign policy as an individual exercise,” said Rahul Gandhi, exuding a new-found confidence.
“The policy of the Congress was to pass on the benefits of international crude oil prices to the people of India. But the Modi government is passing on the benefits to its friends,” he said, adding, “Russia is supplying arms to Pakistan, which it never did before. Our foreign policy is a disaster currently.”
“I attract anger from PM Modi because he views me as a threat,” said Rahul while responding to Modi's 'arrogance' jibe.
“The central challenge in front of our country is to give job to youngsters. China is a competitor and a rising power. We have to manage our foreign policy with extreme care, but we are making fundamental errors,” said Rahul.
Earlier in the press conference, Rahul said that rapes are a national issue.
“Rapes of women is a political issue and it is a national issue. Does he want to say that politicians should not discuss about women security? Women security is a fundamental issue and politicians must speak about it,” he said.
Thursday marks the last day of campaigning for Karnataka Assembly elections 2018. With just two days remaining for May 12 polls in the Congress-ruled state, top leaders from main political parties are making a last-ditch effort to woo voters.
The BJP is organising road shows in more than 150 assembly constituencies.
“As we enter the last day of the public campaign, the BJP is organising roadshows in more than 150 assembly constituencies today attended by our central leaders and CMs of various states. Our workers are reaching millions of voters at their homes and heralding a new Karnataka,'' the Karnataka BJP said in a tweet.
The high-voltage campaigning will end at 5 pm on Thursday.
The counting of votes will be on Tuesday, May 15.
