PM MODI TAUGHT ME WHAT NOT TO DO: RAHUL
Clear message to Modi that People are unhappy and it is time for change
12/12/2018
NEW DELHI, Dec 11: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi taught him "what not to do" and he also "learnt a lot" from the massive defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Gandhi also said the prime minister got a massive mandate but refused to listen to "heartbeat of the country".
Addressing a press conference here after the Congress' resurgence in the Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, he said, "I was speaking to my mother yesterday and I was telling her that the absolute best thing for me was the 2014 election. I've learnt a lot from that election."
The most important thing that he learnt from the 2014 polls was humility, said the 48-year-old Congress chief.
"This is a great country and the most important thing in this country is what the people feel," he said.
As a politician one has to listen to what the people feel and also connect with what they feel, Gandhi said.
"Frankly, Mr Narendra Modi taught me the lesson -- what not to do," Gandhi said.
He said, "Five years ago, he (Modi) was handed a massive opportunity to transform this country. The sad thing is that he refused to listen to the heartbeat of the country."
Modi refused to hear what the youngsters and farmers were saying, he alleged.
"Certain amount of arrogance came in. I think that is fatal for a politician. That is something I learnt from how he has acted. For me the best teachers are the people of this country," Gandhi asserted, adding that he has had a "nice journey" since 2014.
"(Have taken) Little bit of a beating also, but it is a good thing, not a bad thing...," he quipped.
To another question on whether the Congress was now thinking of a 'BJP-mukt Bharat', Gandhi answered in the negative and said the party's approach was different as it wanted to defeat them but not free India from anyone.
"We have defeated them now and we will defeat them in 2019," he said.
Buoyed by Congress' resurgence, party president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the assembly poll outcome is a "clear message" to the Modi government that people are not happy with it and time has come for a change while asserting that his party will also win in 2019.
Prime Minister Narender Modi got a massive mandate but refused to listen to "heartbeat of the country", Gandhi noted, and said there are serious questions being asked about the future of country's youngsters as there was a sense of discontentment and inability to see the future.
Thanking people and party workers for party's good performance in three states of Rajasthan, Chhatisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, he said, "It's now time for change. We are going to provide these three states with a vision for overall development". However, he added that they would have liked to do better in Telangana.
Hitting at the BJP for its often-stated remark of Congress-mukt (Congress-free) Bharat, Gandhi said,"the BJP has a certain ideology and we will fight against it. We have won this elections, we will also win in 2019. However, we do not want to get rid of anyone, 'hum kisi ko mukt nahi karna chahtein'."
Asked about the selection of chief ministers in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, he said there will not be any issue and it will be done smoothly.
There is a clear message to Prime Minister Modi that people are not happy with his decisions, including demonetisation and those pertaining to farmers and youth, he said, adding the BJP has failed to provide a vision for the country going forward.
Asserting that the process of loan waiver for farmers will start as soon as Congress governments are formed, he, however, said the loan waiver is a measure, not a solution to farmers' distress.
Gandhi was named to lead the Congress exactly a year ago and took over the charge from his mother Sonia Gandhi a few days later.
Rahul Gandhi also praised Congress workers and likened them to 'babbar sher' (lions).
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