In a veiled swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who represents Varanasi in the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday claimed that during his visit to the temple town as a part of the ongoing Bharat Jodo Nyay yatra, he saw people lying drunk on roads.
Addressing the public in Amethi, Wayanad MP said the youths of Uttar Pradesh was on a 'trip' after boozing by night.
"I went to Varanasi and I saw people lying on roads drunk. The youths of Uttar Pradesh are on a trip after consuming liquor by night. On the other hand, there is the Ram Mandir which is only visited by the likes of PM Modi, Ambani and Adani. You will see all our billionaires there but not a single person from a backward class or the Dalit community," Rahul said.
"Your place is only limited to roads for begging while they (Centre's alleged corporate cronies) keep minting money," he added.
The Varanasi constituency has seen a huge influx of funds from the Centre and state government and is also a part of the Smart City mission, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 25, 2015.
Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi over his remarks, state minister Dinesh Pratap Singh said the Congress leader should apologise to the country for such statements. -- ANI