Rahul fights Rae Bareli and feels Wayanad’s defeat, says Modi

Bardhaman (West Bengal): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday claimed that fear of defeat in Wayanad prompted Rahul Gandhi to contest from Rae Bareli seat in Uttar Pradesh.
Addressing a rally at the Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha seat, Modi once again called Gandhi the ‘shehzada’ (prince) of the Congress. “The shehzada, who went to Wayanad after losing the Amethi seat, is also contesting Rae Bareli. He knows he would lose Wayanad this time,” Modi said.

Asserting that the Congress’s tally in the Lok Sabha polls will be at an all-time low, he said if voted to power, the party would take away quotas meant for the Scheduled Caste, Dalits and OBCs and give them to it’ jihadist vote bank’. ‘ to pursue the party’s appeasement policy.

Modi also slammed the opposition bloc INDIA and Congress for supporting the “vote jihad” comments of a candidate of the Samajwadi Party (SP), an ally of the grand old party in Uttar Pradesh.

“There is no need for opinion polls or exit polls as I had spoken about their (Congress) defeat in Parliament long ago. When their senior leader left her Lok Sabha seat and entered Parliament through Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan, it was clear that they felt defeat,” Modi said in an apparent dig at Sonia Gandhi.

The Prime Minister challenged the Congress to submit a written statement that it would not amend the Constitution to provide reservations on the basis of religion. They “(Congress and INDIA bloc) should make a written declaration that they will not take away reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs and give them to their vote bank on the basis of religion,” Modi said.

He also severely criticized the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, alleging that the party has made Hindus ‘second-class citizens’ in the state.
(With PTI inputs)