Shah, Rahul in fiery duel

Amethi/Karjan: BJP chief Amit Shah on Tuesday launched a blistering attack on Congress vice- president Rahul Gandhi in his Lok Sabha constituency Amethi, questioning him over development in the "Nehru-Gandhi family bastion" despite his three generations getting elected from here.

Shah, joined by union minister Smriti Irani and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, slammed Gandhi for "mocking" at Gujarat's development and said he "cannot see development as he sports Italian spectacles."

Addressing a public meeting here, the BJP chief said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Adiyanath will ensure all-round development of Amethi as also rest of the state.

"You have trusted a family for 60 years, now trust BJP and Modi and you will not feel betrayed," Shah told the gathering in the presence of Adityanath and Irani, who had lost to Rahul Gandhi in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in Amethi.

He said there were two models of development here — a "Nehru-Gandhi model" and the "Modi model".

Amethi is known all over the world as a "Nehru-Gandhi family bastion" but there has been no development, he said.

Responding to Gandhi's repeated posers as to what the BJP had done during its rule, Shah said, "the Congress ruled the country for 70 years. I want to ask you that you have been MP here for a long time but why is there no collector's office, TB hospital and Akashwani's FM here? Erosion of land due to Gomti river has not been stopped."

He added that the BJP has "given a prime minister who speaks".

Slamming Gandhi for questioning development in Gujarat, Shah said, "He is mocking at the development in Gujarat. I want to ask 'Shahzada' of the Congress as to what your three generations have given to Amethi? You sought an account of our past three years but people of Amethi are taking account of works done here by your past three generations."

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday upped the ante on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the alleged business dealings of BJP chief Amit Shah's son Jay, asking him if he was a "partner" in the "theft".

He also criticised Union ministers and BJP leaders who defended Jay Shah, saying they should change the name of the government's flagship scheme for the girl child--"Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao"-- to "Amit Shah ke bete ko bachao".

"A theft has taken place in front of the eyes of the chowkidar (watchman), but you are silent. The question is are you a watchman or a partner?," Gandhi said, attacking the PM.

The Congress leader was addressing a gathering here in central Gujarat on the second day of his campaign tour of the BJP-ruled state, where the assembly polls are due by the year-end.

At his public meetings during the 2014 Lok Sabha campaign, Modi used to say he did not want to become the prime minister but 'chowkidar' of people's wealth.

A news portal had reported that a firm owned by Jay Shah saw a huge rise in turnover after the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014.

"The company was formed six to seven years ago. Modi ji came (to power in 2014) and launched 'Start up India', 'Make in India'. He then introduced demonetisation and GST.

This destroyed small businesses and farmers," Gandhi told the gathering as he continued his tirade on Modi and Shah for the second day running.

"From this fire, one company comes up. It was nothing in 2014, but in a few months the company became so big that its worth (turnover) rose from mere Rs 50,000 to Rs 80 crore," he said.