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Stop making speeches, start action: Rahul tells Modi
Kozhikode (Kerala), May 26
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop making speeches and start action.
In
a hard-hitting speech, Gandhi, who arrived here on a two-day visit,
time and again referred to the Modi government as a "suit boot
government".
"While I take this opportunity to wish the Modi
government a happy first birthday, my advice to them is if this is the
way they carry forward, then the farmers, labourers and the ordinary
people will not allow them to celebrate five birthdays," he said in his
address to a massive Youth Congress rally.
Gandhi also lashed out
at the failures of the government, especially on the land acquisition
bill, rising prices and on job creation.
"The suit boot
government is interested in protecting the interests of a few friends of
Modi who gave him money for the elections. He wants to take land of the
poor farmers and give it to his few friends," he said.
"He
(Modi) is now interested in taking away the sea from the fishermen
community and is now insisting that fishermen should have passports when
they go for fishing."
Gandhi said Modi claims his one year has been corruption-free.
"It
was the (Congress-led) UPA government that came out with the Right to
Information (RTI) Act and today just look, all the institutions that can
reveal about corruption are headless.
"This government is only interested in headlines, it's 'no action, maximum oratory'," said Gandhi.
The Congress leader also said that statistics point out that job creation has slowed down by 30 percent.
"He
says the land bill and creation of jobs are linked, and says only if
the bill is passed can jobs be created, because land is required.
"This
is not true because lots of land is held with the central and state
governments and it has been revealed that just eight percent projects
are held up because of shortage of land," he said.
Gandhi also condemned Modi's statement that prices have decreased.
"He
(Modi) says prices have come down, but I am yet to hear this from
anyone I have met. Prices of fuel and consumer items have all gone up.
"He
has travelled extensively abroad but till now he has not held the hands
of a poor person in our country. Farmers are in bad shape because of
unseasonal rains and hailstorms."
Gandhi said while the UPA government had written off Rs.70,000 crore debt of farmers affected by rains, Modi has done nothing.
Top
Congress leaders, including former union ministers A.K. Antony and
Vayalar Ravi and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, were present at the
rally.
On Wednesday, the Congress leader will address fisherfolk
at the Chavakadu beach near Thrissur. He will later speak to
representatives of farmers near Kochi.