Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of lacking the courage to challenge U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims that Washington intervened to stop a conflict between India and Pakistan. Speaking at an election rally in Nalanda, Mr. Gandhi also launched a strong attack on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, alleging widespread corruption, administrative failure and disregard for constitutional values.
“The U.S. President has claimed several times that it was because of him the conflict between India and Pakistan stopped,” Mr. Gandhi said. “But our Prime Minister does not have the courage to confront him,” he added, criticising what he called the government’s weak foreign policy stance.
The Congress leader went on to allege that Bihar has become “synonymous with paper leaks and poor health infrastructure” under the current administration. He also accused Home Minister Amit Shah of misleading people, responding to Shah’s earlier remark that “there is no land available in Bihar”.
“Plots were given to an industrial house at throwaway prices by the state government,” Mr. Gandhi claimed, calling it another example of crony capitalism.
Reiterating his criticism of the NDA, Mr. Gandhi said, “The NDA formed the government through ‘vote chori’ during the last Lok Sabha election. The NDA and the Prime Minister are hell bent on destroying the Constitution framed by Bhimrao Ambedkar.”
Mr. Gandhi pledged that if the INDIA bloc comes to power in Bihar, it would establish a government representing farmers, labourers, Dalits and weaker sections of society. “The world’s best university will also come up in Nalanda if the INDIA bloc comes to power,” he added.
The Nalanda rally was part of Mr. Gandhi’s campaign trail in Bihar ahead of the assembly elections, where the INDIA bloc is positioning itself as a united front against the NDA.
