Rahul-Akhilesh counterattack after Modi’s ‘BJP storm’ remark

Meerut, Feb. 7: Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav today attacked BJP and BSP claiming the “SP-Congress storm” sweeping Uttar Pradesh will “blow them away” and “finish” Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is “trying to bring Company Raj” in India.
Addressing a joint poll rally here, the Congress vice president said they will not allow BJP to “spread hatred” in Uttar Pradesh which a “state of peace and harmony”.
“As soon as Congress-SP joined hands, the alliance’s storm hit the state. This storm will finish Narendra Modi, BJP, Mayawati and BSP,” he told his supporters.
Earlier this week, addressing a rally in Aligarh, Modi had attacked the nascent SP-Congress alliance saying the BJP “storm” had forced Akhilesh Yadav to desperately seek the help of anything, “even a pole”, to retain power.
Hitting back at the Prime Minister over the “storm” remarks, Akhilesh today said if there is any “aandhi (storm)” in the state, it is for making the SP-Congress alliance government.“We are Samajwadi people. Even if there is a storm we will face it head on. We know how to paddle the ‘cycle’ (SP’s poll symbol) through a storm,” he said.
Referring to the 1857-Meerut uprising, Rahul told the gathering, “You taught the British a lesson.”
“People had fought to free the country of the Company Raj. But, today Narendra Modi is bringing a kind of Company Raj in India,” Rahul alleged.
He again levelled allegations against Modi that he was favouring a few corporates. He claimed the government has waived “Rs 1.10 lakh crore” owed by the “richest 50 families” but “didn’t give a penny” to the poor.
He asked the gathering if “Rs 15 lakh” as promised by the BJP during the Lok Sabha poll campaign has been deposited in their accounts and also if the youths got employment as promised by the Modi government.
In his attack on the PM over the “storm” remarks, Akhilesh said if there is any “aandhi (storm)” in the state, it is for making the SP-Congress alliance government.
“We are Samajwadi people. Even if there is a storm we will face it head on. We know how to paddle the ‘cycle’ (SP’s poll symbol) through a storm,” he said.
Akhilesh also attacked the BJP saying “the path it is trading” has “posed threat to brotherhood” and urged the voters not to elect the party.