Kerala: Rahul lambasts Modi for ‘helping’ corporates instead of empowering poor

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of 'helping' the big corporates instead of empowering the millions of poor in the country.

While campaigning for Congress candidates contesting in the April 6 polls from assembly seats falling in Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, he said, "The Prime Minister believes if you inject money in the hands of the biggest businesses, you can start the economy. But all that happens is that those big corporates take that money away."

Rahul Gandhi held roadshows in Mananthavady and Sultan Batheri in Wayanad seeking votes for the party candidates.

Addressing an election meeting in Kalpetta, the former Congress president said that his party has a solution to the problem of economic crisis.

"To start Kerala's economy, we are proposing an idea called NYAY. It'll not only help poor people, it'll start Kerala’s economy and start production of jobs. NYAY is Rs 6000 a month into all of Kerala's poorest people's bank accounts", he said.

The Wayanad MP said his party believes that "if you want to start an economy you have to put money into poor people's hands, into the common man's hands into into millions and millions of people's hands".

"If you want to start an economy, you want to create jobs, the first thing you have to do is inject money into the economy", he said.

Reaching out to farming community in the predominantly rural areas of the hill district, he said "there are three new criminal agricultural laws that the Prime Minister has passed. We have to defend against it".

Rahul Gandhi said for him as the MP of Wayanad, the most important thing is to reclaim the idea of Wayanad.

"This place has a global significance. You used to be the spice capital of the world, there is no reason you should not be the spice capital of the world again," he said.

He noted that the issues of buffer zone, medical college, man animal conflict, are critical for future of Wayanad.

"We cannot get these done unless we have a government in Kerala," Rahul said seeking votes for party candidates.

Earlier, addressing a corner meeting in Mananthavady constituency, he called for a dialogue with his "friends" in the Left on issues affecting Kerala.

"There needs to be equal space for me to say what I want and for those on the Left to say what they want. After that people should decide which view or ideology they agree with. It is important for these discussions to happen.

"We don't agree with the ideology of our friends on the Left, but that does not mean we should hate each other or kill each other," he said.