Congress has given more respect to LK Advani than Modi: Rahul Gandhi

Speaking in Mumbai, Gandhi said that the Congress believes in working for all sections of the society and building an inclusive India.

Launching a scathing attack on Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday (June 12) said that the Prime Minister has 'only divided the country, spread hatred and deceived the poor'.

Speaking in Mumbai, Gandhi said that the Congress believes in working for all sections of the society and building an inclusive India. He also said that the BJP would be wiped out in the upcoming assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

The Congress president also criticised the Prime Minister for the way veteran BJP leaders such as LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were treated after Modi assumed the office.

"LK Advani has been the guru of PM Modi, but I have seen in events that PM Modi does not even respect his guru. Today I feel very sad for Advani ji. The Congress party has given him more respect than Modi Ji," he said.

Gandhi also showered praise on BJP veteran and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is in the hospital since yesterday. Vajpayee, who has been bed-ridden since 2009, has been suffering from lower respiratory tract infection and kidney- related issues.

"We had contested against Vajpayee ji but when he is ill now I went to meet him on priority because I am a soldier of Congress. Vajpayee Ji had worked for our country and we respect him as he was the Prime Minister. This is our culture," Gandhi said.

"A senior politician told me that he has been fighting against the Congress for the past 50 years and it is after 50 years that he realised that if there is any party which can keep the country safe it is the Congress. Only Congress can defeat the ideology of BJP and RSS," he added.

He exuded confidence that the Congress and the other opposition parties would defeat the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"They (BJP) have recently lost in Karnataka and have barely saved themselves in Gujarat, they will be wiped out in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh...PM Modi has only divided the country, spread hatred, deceived the poor. He knows that the people of India understand truth and they don't forget," Rahul said.

Hinting that the BJP government had taken away the freedom of the press, the Congress president said, "I want to remind the media: There was no fear in your hearts when it was Congress govt. You could criticize us without fear. This is what Congress gave you."