Modi govt tarnished India's image, deterred investors: Rahul Gandhi

Jaipur, Jan 28: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of destroying India's image as a country of peace and harmony and urged the youth not to let their voice be suppressed.

Addressing a youth rally here, the former Congress president blamed the BJP-led government at the Centre of creating an image for the country that deterred investors.

He claimed that one crore people lost their jobs in the past year while the Modi government had promised the creation of two crore new ones.

He urged the youth not to let their voice be suppressed and ask questions on employment and on the country's future.

The Jaipur public meeting was billed "Yuva Aakrosh Rally", focusing on "youth anger" over unemployment.

Gandhi said that India was known as a country of peace and harmony, often cited as a contrast to Pakistan. But the image is now tarnished, he claimed.

"Narendra Modi has destroyed India's image and reputation in the world. Today, India is known as the rape capital but Narendra Modi does not talk about this," he said at the rally at Jaipur's Ramniwas Garden.

He said when the youth raise questions over unemployment and ask Modi why he "destroyed" India's image, "you are answered with bullets and are suppressed".

He said India's biggest asset and strength are the youth, who are capable of competing with China but the government is wasting this asset.

Earlier, Rajasthan Chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress chief Sachin Pilot received Gandhi at the Jaipur airport. Before addressing the rally, he met some other state ministers as well.