PM Modi taking India back to medieval times: Rahul Gandhi

In his first address as Congress President, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking India back to the medieval times.

Addressing the gathering of Congress leaders and party workers at the party headquarters here, Rahul said, "Congress took India to 21st century, but the prime minister today is taking us back to the medieval times."

He said only the Congress and its workers can put a stop at what the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government is doing to this country.

"And if there is anyone who can stop what the BJP is doing, it is the 'pyara karyakarta & neta' (leader and workers) of Congress. We are going to make Congress, grand old and young party. We will fight the politics of anger," Rahul asserted.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi took over as Congress president by succeeding his mother Sonia Gandhi.

The 47-year-old was officially made the party chief in a ceremony held at the party's 24 Akbar Road headquarters here.

He was given the certificate of Congress president by Mullappally Ramachandran, the chairman of the party's central election authority, who oversaw the organisational polls.

The ceremony was attended by party stalwarts, his mother and outgoing Congress President Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan and other party leaders.

His sister Priyanka Gandhi and brother-in-law Robert Vadra were also present on the occasion.