Rahul performs Ganga Aarti in Haridwar, calls Modi '21st-century king'

Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of leaving protesting farmers on roads for a year amid the pandemic, Rahul Gandhi termed him a '21st-Century king' and pledged the Congress would form a government in Uttarakhand that would never shut out people.

Addressing election rallies in Haridwar and at Kichcha in Udham Singh Nagar district, the former Congress chief alleged that Modi only cared for his billionaire friends and left the rest to fend for themselves.

The Congress, on the other hand, intends to give a government that will work taking the people along, he said.

In Haridwar, where he performed 'Ganga Aarti' at the famous Har Ki Pauri Ghat, Gandhi said, "We will give you a chief minister who comes to you, listens to your problems and runs the government accordingly."

"The government's doors will always be open for you we will work in partnership with you."

He described the farmers as the country's backbone and alleged that the purpose of the agri laws was to 'enfeeble the farmers and strengthen the hands of a few billionaire industrialists at their expense'.

"Narendra Modi is a 21st-century king who thought it below dignity to talk to farmers," Gandhi alleged.

Accompanied by the Congress' Uttarakhand campaign committee head Harish Rawat, the party's state unit chief Ganesh Godiyal, in charge for Congress in the state Devender Yadav and Leader of Opposition Pritam Singh, he performed 'Ganga Aarti' in Haridwar.

He then posted on Twitter three videos of himself participating in the 'aarti' amid 'Har Har Gange' chants by the huge crowd present there.

With one video of himself offering prayers, Gandhi tweeted in Hindi, 'Salutations to Ganga ji! Praying for the bright future of Uttarakhand.'

Assembly polls in Uttarakhand are slated to be held on February 14.

Addressing a poll rally earlier in the day, Gandhi said, "India does not have a prime minister today. It has a king who believes that when he takes a decision everyone else should keep quiet."

Congress intends to provide a government that works in partnership with farmers, the youths and the poor, he said.

"If a prime minister does not work for all he cannot be a prime minister. By that measure, Narendra Modi is not a prime minister," the Congress leader told the 'Uttarakhandi Kisan Swabhiman Samvad' rally in Kichcha.

Citing the example of the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh, he said farmers approached it for loan waivers and that was done within 10 days. A loan waiver worth Rs 70,000 crore was given to them.

"It was not a dole or a free gift. We did it because you work 24 hours for the country," Gandhi said.

"The Congress never shut its doors on farmers... We want to work in partnership with farmers, the poor, labourers so that every section feels it is their government," the former Congress chief said.

He accused Modi of leaving the farmers on the road amid Covid and cold for a year and not inviting them to listen to their grievances.

Referring to the wealth gap in the society, the Congress leader spoke about 'two Indias' with such income disparity which is 'not seen anywhere else'.

"We have one India of rich industrialists, five-star hotels and Mercedes cars and another India of the poor and the unemployed where inflation is rising.

"A select group of around 100 people have as much wealth as 40 per cent of India's population. Such income disparity is not seen anywhere else," he said.

"We don't want two Indias but one India. We want the injustice to an end."

Gandhi congratulated the farmers for their resistance to the three farm laws, which were ultimately rescinded by the BJP-led Union government.

He said the Congress stood with them in their struggle because they were being subjected to injustice.

Harish Rawat and Ganesh Godiyal shared the dais with Rahul Gandhi at the rally which was his first in the state after the announcement of poll dates.

At the Haridwar rally, Gandhi said the four promises made in the Congress manifesto for Uttarakhand were not the 'false promises of Modi' but ones that will be fulfilled.

The four poll promises are jobs to four lakh people, limiting LPG price to Rs 500, paying Rs 40,000 per annum to five lakh poor families and taking healthcare facilities to people's doorsteps.

Training his guns at the prime minister, Gandhi said, "Where are the two crore jobs Modi had promised, where is the Rs 15 lakh he had promised to put in everyone's account. Did he double the income of farmers?"