Modi, Rahul slam each other in Assam

Nagaon (Assam), April 19 (IANS) BJP's Narendra Modi Saturday attacked the Congress over its 'mother-son' government at the centre which he said has failed to meet the aspirations of the people while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the BJP has been making Hindus and Muslims fight against each other.

Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Modi launched his attack on the Congress in the central Assam town, just after the Congress vice president assured the people of setting up production units in the northeast for giving employment to the youth, ensuring security of women and free medicines and hospitalisation for the poor.

Gandhi took to the stage at a school ground in Nagaon and alleged that the BJP has been making Hindus and Muslims fight against each other.

"The British made Hindus and Muslims fight with each other. The BJP is doing the same thing," he said.

He told people the Gujarat model of development only makes some rich people richer at the cost of the poor.

"The Gujarat government takes land of farmers and sells it to companies at a price of Re.1 per square metre. Later, the companies sell the same land to other smaller companies at a price of Rs.800 per square metre," Gandhi said adding that 45,000 hectares of land have already been sold in the state.

"Assam will only benefit when there is a Congress government at the centre. You have a Congress government in Assam, so the state can benefit only when there is a Congress government at the Centre," he said while urging the people to vote for the party candidate for the Nawgong Lok Sabha seat, Jonjonali Baruah.

He assured the people of bringing a bill for 33 percent reservation for women, reservation for 25 percent women in police, bank loans to women, right to food and free medicines for the poor.

An hour after Rahul left, Modi, speaking at another venue in the town, said the "mother-son" government at the centre and the "father-son" government in Assam have both failed to address issues like price rise, unemployment, unabated killing of rhinos and infiltration from Bangladesh.

"In 2009, Congress had assured that 10 crore youths will be given jobs. However, they failed. They also assured to bring down prices of essential commodities but failed again," he said.

"I heard Rahul Gandhi had come here today. Did he mention price rise even once? No. He did not. Because he is not interested in the problem," Modi said.

The BJP leader also attacked the Congress on women's security.

"How can the Congress talk of women security? There are members in the Youth Congress who kill their wife and burn the body in a tandoor," Modi said, referring to the infamous 1995 Tandoor murder case, in which Youth Congress leader Sushil Sharma was convicted of killing his wife Naina Sahni in Delhi and trying to burn her body in a hotel tandoor (oven).

"A Congress woman worker went missing during the party of a Congress leader in Latur and her body was recovered after two days," he said.

Modi also lashed out at the Congress over the Nirbhaya gang rape incident in Delhi.

He said the Congress-led government created the Nirbhaya Fund with Rs.1,000 crore for security of women. "However, one year has passed and not a single paisa has been spent."