New Delhi, Dec 13: Campaigning for the two-phase Gujarat Assembly elections witnessed a bitter war of words between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the main opposition party Congress. Charges and allegations flew thick and fast from both the sides during the month-long election campaign. Now, with the campaigning coming to an end, tempers also appear to cool down a bit. Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday sought to water down the heightened tension between the BJP and his party and added he has no hatred for PM Modi.
“Modiji has helped me the most. How can I hate him,” the 47-year-old leader said when asked political rivalry with PM Modi and his hard-hitting comments made by PM Modi against the Nehru-Gandhi family during his election rallies.
Gujarat Assembly Elections 2017: Full Coverage
“If you look at religion and the history of the nation, love has to be the response to hatred. There is zero emotion of anger and hatred in me,” Rahul Gandhi, who would officially take charge as Congress president on December 16, told Gujarati news channel GSTV.
“It is the nature of our family. Maybe the legend of Gujarat, Mahatma Gandhi taught this to our family,” he added.
In an interview to Zee Media, Rahul Gandhi expressed confidence of party’s win in Gujarat and said people of the state would vote for truth. Rahul also slammed the BJP and PM Modi for making personal attacks during election campaigning in Gujarat. (Also Read: Handshake in Delhi After Bitter Barbs in Gujarat: PM Modi, Manmohan Singh Meet Outside Parliament)
“They made personal attacks. We took action against Mani Shankar Aiyar. But Modiji spoke about Manmohan Singh, it is not acceptable. Manmohan Singhji has served the country for so many years. He headed the government for 10 years but despite that, Modiji made such allegations against him. I want to change this negative discourse,” he said.
Attack on Nehru-Gandhi Family
During his election rallies, PM Modi repeatedly attacked the Nehru-Gandhi family and accused it of neglecting Gujarat for long.
“When Sardar Patel took up the work of re-construction of Somnath temple, Nehru was unhappy. Your great grand father Nehru wrote a letter to President Rajendra Prasad when he was to come for the opening ceremony of the temple,” Modi had said during an election rally.
“This land of brave people will not forgive those who have acted against the Somnath temple,” he said.
Recalling the Macchu dam flood tragedy of 1979 in Morbi,the prime minister said he had spent one month working in the town after the disaster as an RSS and Jan Sangh worker.
“I remember Indira Gandhi had come here and Chitralekha (a local language magazine) had printed her photo with a handkerchief over her nose, trying to avoid the stench, while another photo on the same front page had RSS workers carrying dead bodies,” Modi said triggering a sharp response from the Congress.
Voting on 93 constituencies of the 182-seat Gujarat Assembly will take place in the second and last phase on Thursday, December 14. Results will be announced on Monday, December 18.
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