UDAIPUR/JHUNJHUNU (TIP): Accusing the BJP of copying his party’s poll manifesto, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on April 10 said its only focus seemed to be on making Narendra Modi the prime minister. “It took us six months to prepare a manifesto. We visited people across the country and spoke with them to know what they want.

On the basis of their demands and concerns, we prepared a manifesto, but all BJP did was to copy our manifesto,” he said, addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Udaipur, over 400 km from Jaipur. The BJP replaced the hand symbol of the Congress with that of a lotus, its own symbol, on the manifesto, he quipped. “They then claimed that they have released their manifesto.

In reality, they just copied that of Congress,” said Gandhi, adding most of the promises made in BJP’s manifesto have already been fulfilled by Congress. “They are saying that they would provide one rank one pension, however, we have already implemented this scheme….they are saying that they would build a manufacturing corridor, we have already started working on this industrial corridor,” he said.

Taking a dig at Modi, Gandhi said that Bharatiya Janata Party’s only focus is on making a man the country’s prime minister. “They are not concerned if the country remains poor and people die of hunger. They are only concerned with grabbing the power for one man,” he said. He added that Congress wants to give power to common men rather than a handful of industrialists. “Indira ji (Indira Gandhi) had 20 point program…they have only one point program, that is to make one man the country’s prime minister.” Gandhi also attacked the alleged link of the Adani group with Modi.

“BJP has sidelined Advani, but has welcomed Adani,” Gandhi said. Earlier addressing a rally in Jhunjhunu, he took a dig at Modi’s comment that he didn’t want to become prime minister, but only a “chowkidar” (watchman). Without naming anyone, he said: “BJP talks about chowkidar of the tijori (safe). But I have heard that chowkidars also steal.

We (the Congress) want to empower all Indians.” As he spoke, partymen shouted slogans in his support. “We launched free medicines scheme in the state when we had our government here. Are you getting free medicines now under BJP government….no…the BJP only runs government for big industrialists and not for poor or downtrodden,” he added.