Rahul slams Shah for calling opposition parties animals

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah for likening opposition parties to animals, which is disrespectful to all Indians.

"Calling the opposition parties animals exposes Shah's mentality and reflects the vision of the BJP and its parent organisation RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh). It's disrespectful to all Indians," Gandhi told reporters at the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF), about 100km from here.

Addressing a rally to mark the BJP's 38th Foundation Day in Mumbai on Friday, Shah likened the opposition parties to "dogs, cats, snakes and mongoose", as they were trying to unite against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the 2019 general elections.

"By equating us with animals, Shah has revealed that there were only two humans - Modi and he himself in the country," mocked Gandhi during his visit to Kolar district to campaign for the ruling Congress ahead of the May 12 Karnataka Assembly polls.

"It's unfortunate he (Shah) looks at the world that way and thinks everyone else are animals. But we don't take seriously whatever Shah says," asserted Gandhi.

Shah, however, later clarified that he did not intend to hurt anyone by calling them animals as the context in which he used dogs, cats and snakes was different and meant those whose ideologies were contradictory.

Blaming BJP's senior leaders like L.K. Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi for not showing guts to speak out, Gandhi said for Shah and Modi, even Dalits, tribals, minorities and everybody else were worthless.

"Shah and Modi are convinced that they are the only two human beings in this country and all others are not. That's the reality," lamented Gandhi.

Later, addressing a huge rally at the party's "Jan Ashirvada Yatra" to seek the people's blessings for the Congress victory in the ensuing assembly election, Gandhi said Modi failed to fulfil a single promise he made to the youth of the country.

"Instead of creating two crore jobs for the youth of the country, Modi snatched away thousands of jobs by signing a deal with a French company (Dassault Aviation) to buy Rafale fighters for the IAF and denied HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd) making them in India," reiterated Gandhi.

Claiming that the Congress would defeat the BJP-RSS combine in the upcoming assembly election, the party chief said the saffron brigade would also be defeated in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where assembly elections are due later this year.

"Finally, we will defeat the BJP-RSS ideology in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019," said Gandhi.

"Modi's mood has changed. He is scared and confused knowing that time is running out. He has also realised that the Congress is coming to power," claimed Gandhi.

--IANS

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