Rahul takes dig at PM, says Congress wants 'kurta-pyjama sarkar'

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday hit out at Narendra Modi government with his "suit-boot sarkar" jibe, saying his party wants a "kurta-pyjama sarkar" which works for the common man, farmers and labourers.

Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency Amethi, asked villagers if anyone of them was wearing 'suit-boot' and replied that "suit-boot government was being run (at the Centre)".

"We want 'kurta pyjama ki sarkar'. And we will show it," Gandhi said, seeking to portray the central government as elitist and Congress as the party concerned with welfare of the the common man.

Gandhi, addressing a small gathering, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government of slowing down the pace of the country's progress.

"They have changed the parameters to measure GDP growth and it is being questioned."

Referring to the prime minister's latest announcement of a Rs.1.25 lakh crore Bihar package for changing the face of Bihar, Gandhi said the prime minister moves from one promise to another. "Modiji speaks, people listen and he moves on to the next promise."

He said the prime minister thinks the world lives on dreams but people shed their sweat to earn a living. "A kind of joke is being made... They are not giving respect to people."

Gandhi said if the government makes any move to exert pressure on farmers and labourers, the Congress would oppose it. "If they take a step ahead, we will force them to retrace by two steps."

Gandhi recently led the Congress attack on the government during the washed out monsoon session of parliament.

The Congress had pressed for resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje over their alleged help to former IPL chief Lalit Modi, who is facing Enforcement Directorate investigations.

The party also pressed for resignation of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan over the Vyapam scam.