Gujarat Elections 2017: PM Modi is a terrific actor, Rahul Gandhi hits back

On a day when both of them were campaigning in Gujarat, Rahul Gandhi attacked PM Modi saying he was a ‘terrific actor’. He claimed that PM Modi only ‘cried a few days before elections’, and not for farmers or students.

He was quoted saying by ANI: “He is a terrific actor. You will see he will shed tears a few days before election. He will cry for everything but not for farmers. He will also not cry when students have to shell out money for taking admission in college or people have to go to hospital.”

He added: "Congress will win in December. We will waive loans of farmers within 10 days. If govt will function, it will be for farmers, small and medium businesses and you. We will ask what you want and will run the govt accordingly."

Earlier in the day, he had tweeted and said people were demanding answers. 22 salon ka hisaab, Gujarat mange jawaab (Gujarat demands answers for 22 years of BJP rule), he tweeted.

Seeking to pin the government down on the issue of housing, Gandhi asked the prime minister whether it would take 45 more years to provide new houses to Gujaratis.

Giving numbers to buttress his argument, he said, "First question to the prime minister on the state of affairs in Gujarat - In 2012, he promised to provide 50 lakh new houses, but provided 4.72 lakh in five years. Will the prime minister tell whether it will take another 45 years to fulfil the promise?

The prime minister and the opposition leader are in Gujarat today to campaign for their parties ahead of the December 9 and 14 assembly poll.

Gandhi will campaign in the state for two days and will start with a visit to the famous Somnath temple.

He will also hold public meetings in at least three districts today and tomorrow, party leaders said.

Continuing his high decibel campaign in poll-bound Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for calling GST 'Gabbar Singh Tax' and said those who looted the country could only think of dacoits.

Meanwhile, reacting to Gandhi’s criticism of GST, Modi said a recently emerged "economist" was propagating a "grand stupid thought" by suggesting that GST rate be capped at 18 per cent.

Making a fresh bid for power in his home state, where the BJP has ruled for over two decades, Modi also listed various development works by the government on water conservation, agriculture and development of the Saurashtra region.

Addressing a huge rally in Morbi town in the region, which goes to polls in the first phase on December 9, he accused the Congress of taking credit for minor schemes, like providing hand-pumps, while saying that the BJP rule brought in major works like the Narmada project.

Making a strong appeal to the people to vote for the BJP in this Patidar community stronghold, Modi said his party should not be voted out for 100 years.

"Today, some so called smart people, some new economists have emerged who are misleading people," he declared in his speech in Gujarati.

"Those who have looted people throughout their life, they can only remember dacoits," Modi said in a reply to Gandhi's 'Gabbar Singh Tax' jibe, recalling the iconic villain from the Bollywood blockbuster "Sholay".

He said Gandhi was propagating a 'grand stupid thought' in the name of GST, telling people that they will slash all tax rates and make it 18 per cent.

This means 18 per cent tax on salt and 18 per cent tax on luxury cars costing Rs 5 crore, he noted.

"What kind of smartness is this... how has such an economist emerged here. You want to make goods used by the poor like clothes, footwear and food costlier and you want to make cigarettes and liquor cheaper," he said, ripping into the "anti poor" Congress over its criticism of the tax reform.

The prime minister went on to say that making cigarettes cheaper means bringing cancer in every home and asked which rich businessmen the opposition leader sought to benefit by making liquor cheaper.

He also brought up Rahul Gandhi's grandmother, the late Indira Gandhi.

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," he said.

"Those who have helped us in times of difficulties should be remembered," he added.

Modi then went on to list how his government had worked to bring waters from the Narmada to the parched regions of Saurashtra and Kutch.

"The Congress' development model was giving hand-pumps. For the BJP it is the SAUNI scheme (the Narmada water project for Saurashtra region), where we will fill dams of Saurashtra through huge pipelines."

The culture of this parched land, Modi said, was to give respect to those who have tried to do something to provide water.

"The BJP has done many things and it should not be thrown out of power in the state for the next 100 years," Modi said.

Rahul Gandhi is also in Gujarat today and tomorrow and is expected to address multiple rallies.

Modi had on Monday pushed the BJP's campaign in his home state into a high gear by addressing four back-to-back rallies.

Elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held in two phases on December 9 and 14. The votes will be counted on December 

With inputs from PTI