Nearly four decades after Jayaprakash Narayan led a movement against former premier Indira Gandhi, a Congress leader on Thursday compared her grand-son Rahul Gandhi to the anti-Emergency hero.
Banking on the All India Congress Committee general secretary to help the Congress turn its fortunes in Bihar, the party spokesman Mohan Prakash said the young leader has addressed the needs, concerns and the future of the youth of the country.
"After Pandit Nehru, Abdul Kalam (former President) addressed the children of the country. Similarly after Jayaprakash Prakash Narayan, Rahul Gandhi has addressed the needs, concerns and the future of the youth of the country," he said.
He lamented that after Gandhi's tour to Bihar, where assembly elections are being held, "all the parties opposed to the Congress have attacked him even though he talked about the future of the youth and development".
Prakash claimed there was an "undercurrent" in favour of the Congress in Bihar and this would be all the more apparent in the remaining phases of elections.
Hitting out at the party's opponents, the Congress spokesman said that the two coalitions of Rashtriya Janata Dal-Lok Janshakti Party and the Janata Dal-United-Bharatiya Janata Party were "unnatural and unstable".
He said "the concept of development of both these coalitions was 20-30 years old. On the other hand, the path of the Congress was tuned with the aspirations of the people of 21st century".
Asked why the party had not released its manifesto yet, even though the first phase of elections was over, Prakash said "it was being prepared".
He said the leadership of the party, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, symbolised development and that was the agenda of the party.
"The programme and policies of the party was being enunciated by the leaders in their speeches and when they reach out to the people of the state," Prakash added.
