Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of defaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India and the Constitution on international platforms for political gains.
"If he aspires to return to power, he should stop travelling abroad and start visiting villages across India. Then, perhaps, he may have a chance," Shah said.
Speaking in Pune after laying the foundation stone for the National Heavy Engineering Cooperative (NHEC) revival initiative, Shah said criticising Modi and India at international forums would not help the Congress return to power.
Shah is on a two-day visit to Pune, during which he will attend the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony for the NHEC Multi-State Cooperative Society, virtually inaugurate the regional office of the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies and launch Bharat Taxi in Talegaon Dabhade.
He will also unveil a statue of late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Referring to the two-day Bharat Summit held in Hyderabad, Shah alleged that people subscribing to leftist ideologies from across the world had been invited to criticise Modi and India.
“While the entire world is appreciating the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his development model, Rahul Gandhi is criticising his leadership at an international platform. The summit was named Bharat, but its platform was used to criticise the Prime Minister and the country. We strongly condemn this,” Shah said.
He further claimed that the Congress would have little chance of returning to power if it continued to function under Rahul Gandhi's leadership and follow its present political approach.
“The Congress has lost the last three Lok Sabha elections under Rahul Gandhi's leadership. If Congress workers continue to work in the same direction, there is no possibility of the party returning to power even in the next 30 years,” Shah said.
Shah maintained that electoral victories and defeats depended on the performance of political parties and their leadership. He accused the Congress of failing to deliver during its decade-long tenure under the UPA government, alleging that corruption scandals worth Rs 12 lakh crore had surfaced during that period.
In contrast, he claimed that no corruption case had been registered against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the BJP-led government's 12 years in power.
Highlighting the achievements of the Modi government, Shah said the number of airports in the country had increased from 76 to 150 over the past 12 years. He also cited the introduction of the National Education Policy and the establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation as major achievements.
“The Congress could not establish a separate Ministry of Cooperation in its 70 years of rule. The ministry established by the Modi government is working towards the development of the cooperative sector, particularly dairy farmers,” he said.
