In UP, Rahul Gandhi attacks Modi, says he obliges only 15-20 people'

Lakhimpur Kheri: Rahul Gandhi, whose security cover was on Tuesday tightened in the wake of Monday's shoe attack, continued his tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he works only for "15-20" people and ignores the rest.

Addressing the people during a roadshow here, the Congress vice president said, though the common man elected Modi as the Prime Minister, after the elections he has forgotten the farmers, the dalits, the unemployed youths.

"Modiji, if you want to oblige 15 people, you can. But you cannot forget the interests of other people of the country," Rahul said during the roadshow, which is part of his 2,500-km Kisan Yatra in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

He said Congress will force Modi government to shed its "discriminatory approach" and work for each Indian.

After the shoe-hurling incident in Sitapur on Monday, Rahul's security cover was strengthened with deployment of additional personnel.

"The motive behind the Kisan Yatra is to press the Modi government to waive loans of every farmer, slash electricity bills of every Indian and give adequate prices to farmers for their crop," he said.

Accompanied by former Union minister Jitin Prasada, former Kheri MP Zafar Ali Naqvi and district Congress president Raghvendra Bahadur Singh in his 'Deoria to Delhi Kisan Yatra', Rahul reached Sankata Devi temple where he offered prayers before starting the roadshow.

He garlanded the statue of BR Ambedkar near Nasiruddin Mauji Bhawan during his roadshow. He addressed people at Sankata Devi and near Dr Ambedkar Park. He also addressed meetings in Mitauli and Mohammadi.

"Why the Uttar Pradesh farmers who picked up a couple of cots during my 'khat sabha' were called thieves and Vijay Mallya who fled away with Rs 10,000 crore was called just a defaulter," he asked.

He accused the Prime Minister of making false promises and asked people if they had received Rs 15 lakh in their bank accounts as "promised" by the BJP leader during the Lok Sabha poll campaigns.

"During Congress regime, the petroleum prices were at USD 140 per barrel but in Modi regime they dropped to just USD 40 but benefits were not passed on to common man," he said.

Last evening, Rahul held a khat sabha in Oel town and interacted with the farmers. Seeking their support during UP polls, he assured them of adequate power supply and loan waiver.