'Words for poor, deeds for rich' is your hallmark: Govt. tells Congress

The BJP-led NDA Government today hit back at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and said the grand old party's hall mark all these years has been 'words for the poor, deeds for the rich'.

"The Congress vice-president says that the government may attack him personally but don't attack the poor. I want to tell him that you (Congress) are attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally, even about his dress and other things also. You attack and we cannot stop that, but don't attack the people, particularly the poor, by stalling the Parliament, by stalling important legislations connected with the welfare of the people. That is my appeal to the Congress Party," Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs M. Venkaiah Naidu said.

"You have ignored poor all these days. 'Words for the poor, deeds for the rich' has been the hallmark of your government for all these years," he added.

The minister's comment came a day after the Congress-vice president accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Government of crushing the voices of poor and weak and dared the ruling dispensation, saying 'attack me but spare the poor people of the country'.

Gandhi, who met a delegation of tribals from Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, said that the government was oppressing anyone who spoke against them.

"Our tribal brothers and sisters from Bastar have come to meet me. They told me that they are being threatened and oppressed in Chhattisgarh. The nation is not going to gain from the oppression of people. In Hyderabad, you oppressed Rohith Vemula, here you are trying to oppress Kanhaiya and students. The NDA Government is trying to crush the voices of poor and the weak," he told the media here.

"Narendra Modi ji and his Cabinet will attack me. Modi ji even attacked me personally. People of his party attack me daily. Attack me as much as you want, but do not crush the poor, labourers, farmers, adivasis, Dalits. Attack me, but spare the poor people of the country," he added.