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Rahul commits blooper, calls Modi 'opposition leader'

October 08, 2014 20:44 IST

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday committed a faux pas when he apparently referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "opposition leader".

"An opposition leader says nothing happened in the last 60 years. Their thinking is that only one man can take the country forward.

This thinking raises a question mark on Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Nehru. It not only raises a question mark on them (about what they did for the country), but also you (the people) and your forefathers," Rahul said addressing his maiden campaign rally for the October 15 Maharashtra Assembly poll.

"It is you, your sweat and blood that has brought the country where it is today," the Congress leader said.

Modi has been targeting Congress at his poll rallies, saying, "Those who ruled the country for 60 years are seeking account of what I did in 60 days. Have they given the account of what they did in 60 years?"

Later, addressing another poll rally at Ausa in Latur, Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Narendra Modi for questioning the contribution of Congress in nation building.

"They are saying nothing has happened in India in the last 60 years. So much was done and this work was not done by a single person but by the people of the country. When they say nothing has been done in last 60 years, they are questioning you, the common man," he said.

"The Prime Minister comes here and speaks of the Gujarat model. Be it education or health. Show me one sector where Maharashtra lags behind (Gujarat). Maharashtra is ahead," Rahul said.

Comparing the style of functioning of former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and Modi, when he was his counterpart in Gujarat, the Congress leader said, "There is a difference. Your CM did good work but didn't do any marketing. On the other side (Gujarat), there was marketing."

He said once voted back to power, Congress government would provide round-the-clock electricity to farmers, create 30 lakh jobs for youth and make available free medicines to the needy.

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