Stepping up his attack on the prime minister on the second day of his visit to Wayanad, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha election campaign was filled with "lies, poison and hatred", but his party stood for truth, love and affection.
Gandhi, who is in his constituency on a thanksgiving three-day visit after being elected to the Lok Sabha, addressed party workers at Kalpetta, Kambalakkad, Panamaram, Mananthavady Pulpally and Sulthan Bathery.
A large number of Congress-led United Democratic Front workers, women and children thronged the route in all the places in the six receptions addressed by Gandhi, on the second day of the visit.
Launching a scathing attack on the Prime Minister, Gandhi said Modi "uses hatred, anger and lies", which are his "weapons".
The Congress will continue to fight the "worst sentiments" the Prime Minister represents, he said.
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"At the national level, we are fighting poison.
Modi's campaign was filled with lies, poison, hatred and divided the people of the country. He used lies in the election.... Congress stood for truth, love and affection," Gandhi said addressing the crowd at Kalpetta.
Bathery, the last roadshow of the day, saw the maximum participation with people waiting to catch a glimpse of their MP, for whom they had given a massive majority.
"My doors will be open for all, regardless of any ideology or political affiliation", he said.
At Bathery also, Gandhi hit out at the Prime Minister, saying his party was fighting Modi's "poisonous" campaign.
"We are fighting the poisonous campaign of Modi.
He might have all the institutions, channels, media, all the money in the world, all the rich business men. But we have truth by our side".
On Wayanad, he said even though "we have a lot of challenges in the constituency, there are opportunities too" and added that he wouldraise Kerala's voice in Parliament.
Gandhi in a tweet later, said: "I am humbled by the love and affection showered on me by the people of Wayanad, as I tour the constituency. I thank you all for your support."
Congress general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal, Leader of the Opposition in Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala and Kerala Congress chief Mullappally Ramachandran were with Gandhi in his special vehicle.
Though it rained heavily in parts of the constituency Friday, the weather did not play spoilsport as it was bright and sunny throughout the day.
Gandhi had contested the Lok Sabha election from Wayanad, in addition to his family bastion of Amethi, but lost to Union minister Smriti Irani in the Uttar Pradesh constituency.
He won from Wayanad by a margin of about 4.31 lakh votes.
After the Congress party's poor show in the second consecutive general election, Gandhi had offered to resign as the Congress president, but it was rejected by the party's highest decision-makingbody.
Congress won 52 seats in the 2019 polls.
However in Kerala, the only state besides Punjab and Tamil Nadu where it did well, the party and its allies won 19 out of the 20 seats.
On Friday in Malappuram district, Gandhi said his party would emerge as a strong opposition and defend the poor.
Attacking Modi, he said, "Modi may have money, he may have the media by his side, he may have rich friends.
But the Congress will continue to fight against the intolerance created by the BJP".
"The intolerance created by BJP and Modi will be dealt by the Congress party with love and affection," Gandhi added.
Gandhi also accepted memorandums and complaints from people belonging to various walks of life at the district collectorate.
A PTI correspondent in Sultan Batheri met Nader, a headload worker from Kalpetta, who was excited seeing Gandhi, and said the leader must do something for the constituency.
"A medical college is a longtime demand of Wayanad. Now since he is representing us, I hope we will get one", he said.
However, Shiyaz, a wayside shop owner near Mananthawady, was not too excited about Rahul's visit.
"We thought that he will become the Prime Minister. However, nothing happened. Hope we will get benefits from the Centre," Shiyaz said.
Rahul Gandhi's ardent fan, Pandit Dinesh Sharma, was also present throughout the roadshow.
Twenty five-year-old Sharma, a native of Haryana, has been a regular face whereever Gandhi goes.
"I have been going out to campaign for Rahul ji for the last eight years.
I have taken a vow not to wear footwear until Rahul ji becomes Prime Minister," Sharma told PTI.
Sharma, clad in shiny tricolour clothes with the Congress symbol printed on it, was seen waving a huge party flag throughout the roadshow.
A group of nuns and nurses from nearby Assumption Forane church and the Assumption hospital came out to greet their MP.
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