'Grand Stupid Thought' to 100 years for BJP, 10 things Modi said in Gujarat

The PM told one of the gatherings that the Congress had always betrayed the Gujaratis

From retorting to Rahul's 'Gabbar Singh Tax' jibe with 'Grand Stupid Thought' to urging that 'BJP shouldn't be voted out for 100 years', here are the highlights of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Gujarat poll campaign on Wednesday.

Here are 10 things that Modi said:

1. In a stinging rebuttal of Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi's criticism of the Goods and Services Tax, Modi said a recently emerged 'economist' was propagating a 'grand stupid thought' by suggesting a uniform GST rate of 18 per cent. 

Taking a dig at the Nehru-Gandhi family, he added that those who looted the country for years can only think of dacoits.

2. The PM raked up the issue of the Narmada dam, targeting the Nehru-Gandhi family for trying to scuttle the project and singing paeans to Sardar Patel. He said the Congress depended on the ‘hand-pump’ model, whereas the BJP relied on the Narmada model. 
 

3. Modi also trained his guns at Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the Somnath Temple, saying that Nehru had opposed the temple’s reconstruction. “The land of the brave will not forgive those who acted against the Somnath Temple”, he said.

"When Sardar Patel took up the work of the reconstruction of the Somnath temple, Nehru was unhappy. Your great-grandfather Nehru wrote a letter to President Rajendra Prasad when he was to come for the opening ceremony of the temple," the IANS quoted Modi as saying.

4. Taking a subtle dig at the Congress for its support of reservation for the Patel community, Modi called out the Congress’ double standards for blocking a Bill in Rajya Sabha that conferred constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes. He said the NDA govt had allowed the Bill to be passed in the Lok Sabha but it got docked in the Rajya Sabha, where the Congress enjoyed a majority. Making a strong appeal to the Patidar community, he said that the BJP shouldn't be voted out for the next 100 years.

5. PM also attacked the Congress for raking up the 'One rank one pension' issue when in the opposition. “What was the Congress doing for forty long years’’, he asked, accoeding to a News18 report.

6. Modi also retorted to Rahul Gandhi’s jibe on that the prime minister broke into a sweat ahead of the polls. He said that those born with a golden spoon in their mouth were mocking the sweat of the poor. 

7. Modi directed a salvo at the Congress by recalling a magazine photo of Indira Gandhi's visit to Morbi, where she is seen putting a handkerchief to her nose. He said that for the RSS and the BJP, Morbi’s soil is fragrant, whereas the Congress thought it was foul.

8. The PM told one of the gatherings that the Congress had always betrayed Gujaratis. He alleged that Congress was trying to put him down just like they did with Sardar Patel and Morarji Desai.

9. Taking a jibe at the Congress' rout in the UP elections, Modi said the media had glorified Rahul Gandhi then. He said that Rahul had called Gujaratis 'donkeys' during his campaign.

10. On Dokalam, Modi asked Rahul Gandhi, why was it that he believed in the Chinese, rather than his country's government. Rahul Gandhi had alleged that Modi's diplomacy hadn't worked since the Chinese were reported to be carrying out construction activities in the region.
 

Prime Minister Modi is expected to attend at least 20 public meetings and rallies in the next 15 days ahead of the assembly polls to be held on December 9 and 14.

Gujarat has a total number of 182 assembly seats and the polling will be held in two phases. Voting in 89 constituencies of Saurashtra and South Gujarat region will be held in the first phase while the remaining 93 constituencies in central and northern regions will be held in the second phase. The votes will be counted on December 18.

The Congress is eyeing to dethrone the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state. The last Congress government in Gujarat was led by Chhabildas Mehta from February 17, 1994, to March 13, 1995.