Dharamsala, March 20 (IANS) Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Thursday hit out at the BJP's ideological offshoot RSS, saying even Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel described it as a "poisonous outfit that can destroy the nation".
"Sardar Patel ne kaha tha ki RSS ek zehreela sangathan hai (Sardar Patel had said RSS is a poisonous outfit)," Gandhi said at a rally here in Kangra district, some 250 km from Shimla.
Clad in a white kurta with jeans and donning a Himachali cap, Gandhi said "the opposition in a similar fashion is trying to appropriate Sardar Patel's legacy".
Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, he said: "It's an irony that a person who lived all his life with RSS ideology is now installing his statue and it appears that he has not even read the history of Sardar Patel."
"BJP's tallest leaders in parliament had said India would be destroyed due to computers, but I won't name them."
He also lashed out at the BJP over claims of development, saying its leaders were taking false credit.
Himachal Pradesh, which has four Lok Sabha seats, will go to polls May 7.
Gandhi said the Congress would ensure that 70 crore people enter the middle class in the next five years and claimed that 15 crore people were brought out of poverty by the UPA government.
"We do politics to empower people. Congress will continue to work to provide education and employment to people," he said.
"During the UPA regime, the number of roads built was three times more than during the NDA regime," he said, listing the achievements of the Congress-led UPA government.
"Our opponents are lacking farsightedness," he said.
The industrial corridor project, he said, would usher in a manufacturing revolution.
"The UPA government has taken up the industrial corridor project and it's committed to complete it, which will generate more employment opportunities. Now, the maximum manufacturing takes place in China. In future, it will be in India," he said.
Blaming the opposition for non-passage of the women's reservation bill, he said the Congress was committed to women's empowerment and would not only provide reservation to them in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies but also give adequate reservation in the ministries and in the party's organisation.
To woo ex-servicemen, Gandhi said the UPA accepted their long pending demand of "one rank, one pension".
Stating that he favours changes in the present education system, the Congress leader said: "The opportunities of higher education are limited and change in the system is required so that maximum people have access to higher education."
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his cabinet colleagues were present at the rally.
In the 2009 elections, the BJP won Shimla (reserved), Kangra and Hamirpur, while the Congress bagged the Mandi seat.
No classes for juniors in Jaipur till Jan 12
Jaipur, Jan 5 (IANS) With the intense cold, chilly winds and fog continuing to affect normal life in Rajasthan, the Jaipur district administration Monday decided to close schools for Class 1 to 5
North Korea again fired a ballistic missile, and Japan's concerns increased; issued an emergency alert
Japan's Prime Minister's Office has issued an emergency alert because of a suspected ballistic missile launched by North Korea. North Korea fired a missile, which went over Japan towards the Pacific.
Sambhal's DM Rajendra Pensia met Premanand Maharaj, the saint said- there is no need to be afraid..., VIDEO went viral.
Sambhal DM Dr. Rajendra Pensia went to meet Sant Premanand Maharaj at his Shriradha Keli Kunj in Ramanreti. While presenting Radharani's prasadi patuka to the DM, Sant Premanand Maharaj said that he
WPL 2024 Points Table: Delhi Capitals have settled their score by defeating Mumbai, this is the latest status of the points table
Meg Lanning-led Delhi Capitals defeated Mumbai Indians in the 12th match of the Women's Premier League 2024 to register their fourth win of the tournament. With this victory, Delhi Capitals is in the
PM Modi: 'Times have changed, now terrorists are afraid even in their homes', Prime Minister Modi taunts the opposition
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cornered the opposition on the issue of terrorism and said that now terrorists feel insecure even in their homes, whereas in the previous governments, people used to
India-Bhutan Ties Unique: Pranab
New Delhi, Jan 15 (IANS) Noting that Indo-Bhutan relations are "unique", President Pranab Mukherjee has said India's commitment to that country would continue undiluted.At a meeting with Bhutanese
Government's slack in screening of migrants, in Bihar 72% corona cases increased in 20 days
Patna
Bangladeshi protesters do not value independence! Statues related to Pakistan's surrender were vandalized; Tharoor said - they were not worthy of forgiveness
Even after the political upheaval and coup in Bangladesh, violent protests in the country have not calmed down. Various pictures of violence are coming from different parts of the country.
Sushant Singh Rajput: Will Sushant Singh's death mystery ever be solved? Know what happened in this case from beginning to end
Today it has been two years since Sushant Singh Rajput left this world. For his family and fans, this day of June 14 is like a shock. Sushant Singh's passing left a void in the industry and at the
Sri Lanka Crisis: Demonstrations resumed in Sri Lanka, thousands of people marched against the tax hike
Even after getting a new President for the people of Sri Lanka, their problems are not decreasing. Hundreds of people in the largest city Colombo are struggling with the financial crisis. At the same
