'Magician' Modi can make even democracy 'disappear': Rahul

Narendra Modi is a ‘‘great magician’’ who can make even democracy ‘‘disappear’’, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday, taking a swipe at the prime minister over disgraced businessmen Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya fleeing the country following accusations of fraud.

“The prime minister is living up to this wonderful image of a great magician who can make thing appear and disappear at the snap of a finger. He has made many things appear and disappear effortlessly.

“Scamsters like Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi and Nirav Modi magically disappeared from India and reappeared in foreign lands out of the reach of Indian law. Modiji’s magic can even make democracy disappear from India very soon,’’ he told an election rally at Jowai in poll-bound Meghalaya.

Polling for the 60-seat Meghalaya assembly will be held on February 27. The Congress is in power in the state for three consecutive terms, and is eyeing a fourth under Chief Minister Mukul Sangma.

Hitting out at the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre for the “disappearance” of the three “scamsters”, Gandhi said, “With the Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi scandals we know that this is a government that not only cannot remove corruption but is actively participating in it.’’

The prime minister wants to rule the entire country “at any cost” but cannot explain how Nirav Modi took Rs 22,000 crore and escaped to England, he added.

Gandhi said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government had failed to create jobs for youth and fair prices to farmers for their produce.

“Four years ago, the prime minister of our country sold dreams to the people of India. Achhe din and Rs 15 lakh to each account, two crore jobs and so on... The tribals of India had felt that they would get equal share, and their land, traditions and culture would be protected.

“But as this government enters the fag end of its tenure, instead of giving hope, security and economic growth, it has dealt the people only hopelessness, unemployment, fear, hatred and violence,” he said.

The Congress, Gandhi said, is the voice of the people of the country and Meghalaya and expressed confidence on its win in the northeastern state.

“We are defending here in Meghalaya because no matter how much money these people (BJP) have or how strong they are we will defeat them. This is because we are for freedom and we are for the voice of the people,” he said addressing the road show.

Alleging that the BJP policy is to divide and oppress and is “nasty”, the Congress president said, “You can see Narendra Modi talks of corruption day in and day out but doesn’t answer where the money the BJP spends in their campaigns come from”.

Photographs: PTI Photo