Rahul Gandhi on Thursday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the violence in Gujarat during quota agitation by Patels, saying it was a repercussion of the "politics of anger" pursued by Modi.
"Our Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi is doing politics of anger and such politics has repercussions for the country which you are seeing in Gujarat," the Congress vice president, who is on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, told reporters after addressing a farmers' rally at a village in Pampore town near Srinagar.
He was asked about the violence in Gujarat during the agitation by Patel community for reservation which has claimed nine lives since Tuesday.
Rahul said the "politics of anger has only benefited Modi".
"They want people to fight and spread anger. We all know this truth. We (Congress) believe that anger does not benefit anybody except Modiji. It does not benefit the country, farmers, poor and businessmen and we have seen this in Kashmir," he said.
Rahul said Congress believed in taking everybody along.
Referring to the 25 years of turmoil in the Valley, the Congress leader said it has been seen in Kashmir over the past many years now that violence does not benefit anyone.
Hitting out at the BJP, the Congress leader said they make the people angry and want them to fight each other.
"Congress wants to take everyone along in harmony," he added.
Rahul also accused the NDA government of being anti-farmer.
"This government is anti-farmer across the country. It is a suit-boot ki sarkar. Initially we thought, it was generally suit-boot ki sarkar but now we have realised that it is only (favouring) five or 10 people (corporates)," he added.
Rahul said he had come to Kashmir on the invitation of the saffron growers as they wanted "me to see first hand" the problems they were facing.
Image: A man on a scooter stands next to burning vehicles after the clashes between the police and protesters in Ahmedabad. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters
