Malappuram (Kerala): Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi thanked voters in Kerala who enabled his Lok Sabha victory from the state's Wayanad constituency in the 2024 general elections.
This is the first time Gandhi has visited the state after his massive 3,64,422 votes margin victory over rival and CPI candidate Annie Raja from the constituency in north Kerala. In the 2019 elections, he secured the seat with a record margin of 4.3 lakh.
Addressing a public gathering in Malappuram here, Gandhi who had also contested and won from the Raebareili seat in Uttar Pradesh said, "I have a dilemma in front of me -- Will I be a Member of Parliament of Wayanad or Raebareli?"
Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Modi, Rahul Gandhi said, "Unfortunately, unlike the prime minister, I'm not guided by God. I'm a human being."
"You saw how the Prime Minsiter said '400 paar' and after that 400-paar disappeared and '300-paar' came. After 300-paar disappeared, he gave a speech where he said 'I am not biological', I do not take any decision and I have been put on this earth by 'Parmatma' and he takes all the decisions. Modiji's strange 'parmatma' makes him take all decisions in favour of Adani-Ambani. 'Parmatma' tells him to give Bombay Airport, Lucknow Airport and power plants to Adani," Gandhi said.
Rahul Gandhi said that for him "it's much simpler. My God is the poor people of India. My God is the people of Wayanad. For me, it's easy. I just talk to the people and my God tells me what to do. Back to the question of Wayanad or Rae Bareli, what I will commit to you is that both Wayanad and Rae Bareli will be happy with my decision."
Continuing his diatribe against PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi said "...After elections, you saw the Prime Minister doing this (touches the Constitution to his forehead) to the Constitution," the Congress leader said.
"The people of Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and all other states showed the Prime Minister that he cannot dictate to the people of India. The people of India also showed the PM that the Constitution is our voice, and do not touch the Constitution. The 21st century is a visual century, images have become much more important," Gandhi said.
Rahul Gandhi further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "escaped a defeat" in his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi.
"The truth is the Prime Minister escaped in Varanasi and he would have been defeated himself in Varanasi. The BJP was defeated in Ayodhya. The people of Ayodhya have given a message that we do appreciate hatred and violence. Hatred has been defeated by love and affection, arrogance by humility," he said.
On BJP-led NDA's majority in Lok Sabha polls, Gandhi said, "The government that is being formed in Delhi is a crippled government. The Opposition has given a fatal blow to the BJP. You will see the attitude of Narendra Modi will have to change because the people of India have sent him a clear message. From our perspective, our role of Opposition will continue. We have proposed an alternative vision for the people of India-'a pro-poor vision' and we will fight for that vision."
Rahul Gandhi held a roadshow earlier this morning in Edavanna in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constitiuency.
—ANI