Ahmedabad: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has accused the Congress of seeking refuge in casteism and "outsourcing" its campaign to caste leaders while dismissing any threat to the BJP's poll prospects from the Congress-Hardik Patel tie-up.
He alleged that the Congress was "deceiving" the people over the issue of reservation, while the agitators were lining up for poll tickets.
Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel's open support to the Congress in the December Assembly polls is not an electoral alliance but a "deal" between two sides, the 61- year-old BJP leader said, describing Hardik as a "media- created" leader.
Rupani dubbed Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who is extensively campaigning in Gujarat, as a "gappidas" (teller of lies) and accused him of dishing out fabricated statistics about the BJP-ruled state.
"From what I understand, I can say it (Congress-Hardik alliance) won't have any effect (on the BJP) as they are exposed. They have kept aside the original demand of reservation and agitators have lined up to get Congress tickets," he said. Rupani was replying to a question on the impact of Hardik Patel pledging support to the Congress in the Gujarat polls.
"While the Congress is not speaking a word on how will it give reservation to the Patidars (if it comes to power), he (Hardik Patel) is declaring support to the Congress. This shows there is 'saudebaazi' (deal) (between them)," Rupani said in an interview.
The Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti's (PAAS) support to the Congress after accepting the party's formula on giving quota to the Patels over and above the 50 per cent cap is being seen as a potentially game-changing development in Gujarat, ruled by the BJP for over two decades.
Rupani, however, said the promise of giving quota breaching the Supreme Court-fixed cap of 50 per cent can't be fulfilled.
"The country has seen many agitations on reservations and during one such agitation in 1980s over 100 youths were killed under the Congress government in Gujarat," he charged.
The Supreme Court's largest bench has said reservation cannot be given beyond the 50 per cent limit, Rupani said.
"I have a challenge for them - engage top lawyers of the country and get their opinion. Nobody will endorse the formula given by the Congress except Kapil Sibal, who is from that party," he said.
"The Congress formula on giving reservations above the 50 per cent cap is an attempt to deceive the people and it won't work. This exposes the deal," he further said.
Rahul cites media report to attack PM Modi's 'Make in India'
New Delhi: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday cited a media report on a drop in the production of 'Nano' cars at a Gujarat plant and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet 'Make in India' project "just died" turning Gujarati tax payers' Rs 33,000 crore into "ash".
Gandhi also asked who should be held accountable for the money becoming "ash".
The Congress vice president has reportedly been saying that the Gujarat government had proffered "benefits" worth Rs 33,000 crore to the car project in Sanand.
"PM's pet 'Make in India' project just died. 33,000 crores of Gujarati taxpayer money turned to ash. Who is accountable?" Gandhi said on Twitter.
The Congress vice president is currently campaigning in the poll-bound state, which has been under the BJP's rule for 22 years.
The media report claimed that the average daily production of Nano cars at the Tata Motor's Sanand plant was down to "just two".