Nagpur controlling institutions, destroying them: Rahul Gandhi

Bhubaneswar, Jan 25: Touching upon issues ranginh from lack of job creation to the government being pro-industrialists, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that there is no scope for feedback in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's regime. During an interactive session at 'The Odisha Dialogue' in Bhubaneswar, Gandhi said Congress has a dynamic process and always listens to people, while PM Modi thinks 'he knows everything'.

"Ours is a dynamic process, we listen to the people. Not like Mr. Narendra Modi who thinks he knows everything, there is no scope of feedback. This is the basic difference between us and BJP," he said.

"There is massive centralisation of power. Institutions are being destroyed. RSS is the mother of BJP. It believes it should be the only institution in this country and the idea is to penetrate into every Indian institution..Go to North Block, everyone will say their OSDs are under the direct employment of Nagpur," he added.

Gandhi was speaking at an interactive session with students and young entrepreneurs. He asked why India is not able to create jobs like China.

"We have to compete with China, should accept China's ability to create jobs. Met a couple of Chinese ministers when I went for Kailash trek. They said automation is not a problem, job creation is not a problem. Production dominated by Chinese. Modi ji talks about 'Make in India', but India far behind China in creation of jobs," he said.

He said that being criticised by the BJP and the RSS was the best thing that happened, and called it "the biggest gift they could give me". "I look at Mr Modi when he abuses me and I feel like giving him a hug," he said.

"I realise he (PM Modi) disagrees with me and I disagree with him, and I will fight him and I will try and make sure that he is not the prime minister but I don't hate him. I give him the right to have his opinion," Rahul furher said.

Painting the BJP and the ruling BJD in Odisha with the same brush, Gandhi said both leaders followed the same model - that is the 'Gujarat model', under which "industrialists pay for the marketing of the chief minister", and in return get to have a say in government policies.