Rahul questions Modi’s silence on Reddy brothers, Doklam

Rahul Gandhi took several swipes at the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also questioned the silence on issues such as Doklam and corruption. He sought to know why Modi was silent on the Dokalm issue during his visit to China.

He also slammed Modi over his silence on alleged corruption by the BJP leaders, including its chief Amit Shah's son and for declaring B S Yeddyurappa as the chief ministerial candidate, despite him spending time in jail.

"I have heard that he (Modi) is visiting China. You just see, take it in writing from me. China's army is sitting in Doklam and he will not utter a word on Doklam in China, you just watch. He (Modi) won't utter a word, this is a 56-inch chest. Only hollow words, false promises," Rahul said during his Karnataka tour.

Rahul who is on a two-day tour to Karnataka also released the party's manifesto and said that it was the 'mann ki baat,' of the people of the state.

The Congress president spoke of how Modi had hosted Xi in his home state Gujarat and the Chinese troops made an incursion into Indian territory.

"In Gujarat, on the banks of a river, Narendra Modiji" sits on a swing with the Chinese president. Chinese president goes"back home and puts Chinese army in Doklam.

I don't know where his (Modi's) 56-inch chest had gone, Narendra Modi ji did not utter a word," he said. Chinese soldiers had intruded into Indian territory in Chumar area of Ladakh in September 2014 during Xi's India visit

He further said, "Modiji, wherever he goes, speaks his 'mann ki baat, but our manifesto is "not our mann ki baat.... it is the mann ki baat of Karnataka's youth, women and poor".

He said the manifesto was not prepared by two or three Congress leaders in a closed room, and that people of every district and region were consulted.Gandhi also said, "Modi ji folds his hands in front of (12th-century social reformer) Basavanna's statue, garlands it, and then he gives eight tickets to Reddy brothers."

"He says he stands against corruption.... but then he stands with Yeddyurappa (the BJP's chief ministerial nominee), who has spent time in jail, on one side, and four MLAs who have savoured jail food on the other," he added.

Reddy brothers:

Taking a jibe at the Prime Minister over BJP allotting party tickets to the Reddy brothers and their supporters, he said, "Modi ji likes changing names. Earlier it was "Planning Commission. He changed it to NITI Ayog. Now he has changed the CBI's name to Central Bureau of Illegal mining." The influential Reddy brothers of Ballari were accused of involvement in illegal iron ore mining in several states, and two of them have been fielded by the BJP in the polls.

"It (CBI) is an agency that gives a clean chit to"Reddy brothers, it does whatever Modiji asks it to do. If you want theft to happen from Karnataka, Modi ji will get it done. Amit Shah and Modi ji will give them (Reddy brothers and their men) eight tickets and then they will give speeches that they are against corruption," he said. He alleged the Reddy brothers had looted Rs 33,000 crore from Karnataka by way of the mining scam.The Congress president also accused the prime minister of keeping quiet over atrocities against women.