Gujarat model a balloon, has benefited only the rich: Rahul

Terming the ‘Gujarat model’ a balloon, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi said it would burst soon. At a well-attended joint election rally for Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidates, at the Bandra- Kurla Complex in north central Mumbai, he alleged the model marketed by the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)’s prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, was meant for development of the rich, while it neglects the common man, labourers, farmers and women.

Gandhi, who addressed the rally in the absence of his mother and Congress president,  Sonia Gandhi, alleged the model had benefited a few industrialists, while a large number of people were still away from the development process. Sonia could not make it owing to ill health.

The Congress vice-president also criticised Modi for sidelining veteran BJP leader and former deputy prime minister L K Advani, but offering red-carpet treatment to industrialist Gautam Adani.

Rahul Gandhi said the BJP and Modi are not only widening the gap between the poor and the rich but they are also dividing the country on the lines of religion, caste and creed. He claimed the Congress party is committed to taking all sections together.

The Congress scion also invoked the 'Snoopgate' controversy and launched a blistering attack on Modi. The scandal relates to the alleged spying on a young woman architect by Gujarat police officers in 2009. “The Gujarat chief minister gets women's phones tapped, sends policemen behind them and then we see posters talking about empowerment of women,” Rahul said sarcastically.

Rahul Gandhi said the Congress party is committed to ensuring women’s security and empowerment. He said the next United Progressive Alliance government would provide 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha as well as state assemblies and 25 per cent in the police force.