Cong manifesto bears imprint of Muslim League: Modi

Saharanpur (UP): Virtually equating the Congress with the Muslim League, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the grand old party's election manifesto reflects the same thought as that of the Muslim League at the time of the freedom movement.

Prime Minister Modi said the Congress, which existed at the time of the freedom movement, has "ended decades ago". "A number of great personalities were associated with the Congress. The name of Mahatma Gandhi was associated with the Congress. The Congress, which is left today, neither has policies in the interest of the nation nor vision for the nation's development," Prime Minister Modi said. "Yesterday, the kind of election manifesto was released, it has proved that today's Congress is completely cut off from the hopes and aspirations of today's India," he added addressing an election rally in Saharanpur. Sharpening his attack further, he said the Congress is not visible even remotely. Prime Minister Modi also took a jibe at the Samajwadi Party, which is a member of the INDIA bloc and an election partner of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh.

"The situation of SP (Samajwadi Party) in Uttar Pradesh is such that here they have to change their candidates every hour, whereas the situation of Congress is even more strange. The Congress is not getting candidates at all," Prime Minister Modi said. "Even on the seats, which the Congress considered as its stronghold, it is not able to muster the courage to field candidates," he added apparently referring to the Congress strongholds of Amethi and Rae Bareli.