Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi an expert propagandist, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma on Wednesday accused him of betraying the youth and farmers.
The Congress leader said the foundation stone of the bullet train had been laid in Ahmedabad with an eye on the coming Gujarat assembly polls.
"Every other day, there is a rail accident or derailment. First fix that. The bullet train project has been launched only for the Gujarat assembly elections.
"Is he the Prime Minister of India or still thinks he is Gujarat Chief Minister," Anand Sharma said while addressing the Sanjha Virasat Bachao Samiti Sammelan in Jaipur.
"I urge him to complete the project by 2019 instead of 2021... so that we can quickly send both Modi and BJP President Amit Shah back (to Gujarat after the general elections). The country is awakening...," he added.
The former Union Minister said that people did not consider the 'New India' touted by the Prime Minister as theirs. "A nation cannot be run through pubicity, they should also do some work," he remarked.
"The Gross Domestic Product had come down and that too when the sytem to determine it had been changed. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had rightly predicted a GDP decrease after the November 8 demonetisation. He is a noted economist, while the Prime Minister is an expert propagandist," Anand Sharma said.
"They insulted him (Manmohan Singh) so much, but he understands the economy, which is in doldrums," he added.
"He (Modi) has put the economy in such a worse state that it won't be able to recover in the next few years."
Anand Sharma said that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party had no right to issue anyone a certicate on his/her patriotism or religiosity.
"Those who have been betrayer of India can't teach us lessons in nationalism and how to respect the national flag. They have no right to teach us. We are working towards protecting the composite culture of India," he added.
--IANS
sid/tsb
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