PM ‘playing drums’ while rising prices hurting people : Rahul

Amethi: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that at a time when people in India are suffering from electricity problems and soaring prices, the PM is beating drums in Japan.

Speaking to media in his parliamentary constituency, Rahul said: “The incumbent government came on a set of promises, but is seems it has forgotten them.”

Rahul further criticised the Modi government over electricity woes and corruption menace saying that the centre has done nothing to address the problems its 100 days of governance.

Meanwhile, reacting to Rahul’s jibe at PM Modi, party leader an d Urban development Minister Venkaiah Naidu said, “Why should we listen to him (Rahul) when his own party members are not listening to him.”

Another BJP leader and party spokesperson Nalin Kohli said: “The Prime Minister enthrals audiences in Japan but Rahul Gandhi and Congress have lost their rhythm.”

“As far as power problem is concerned, you (Rahul) were sleeping in Parliament and the UPA government for 10 years was in self-induced coma. It absolved itself of governance and converted the situation from economic prosperity to economic despondency,” he said.

The Congress president acknowledged the increasing divide within the Congress saying that the party will deal with such ‘tensions’.

Rahul admitted that there have been rising voices within the Congress. The Congress vice president said: “Congress is an old organistaion and there are multiple voices within it, such voices will bring solutions to the party.”

“There are always tensions, we will deal with it,” Rahul asserted.

Rahul’s clarification on reports of growing dissent within the party comes amidst many senior leaders questioned Gandhi scion’s style of functioning and his ‘young team’.

After humiliating defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress has been facing a battle between the old guard and the new generation over the leadership of Rahul.

Some young general secretaries have privately held meetings and discussed the remarks of some senior party leaders, which, they felt, appeared questioning the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, as per reports.

However, the party leadership has feigned ignorance about such meetings.

The signs of the deepening conflict came to the fore when Congress leader Janardhan Dwivedi recently said that people in politics should not continue in active posts beyond 70 years of age.

Dwivedi, who will be 69 next month and feels marginalised in the party, told reporters that 65 or 70 should be the age for people to go out of active posts and take up other roles instead.