Rahul Gandhi speaking at a rally in Balasinor.
, who has promised to rout the BJP with love, took that message to
Narendra Modi's Gujarat today.
Mr Modi's BJP, said the Congress vice president, "has no ideology but only anger. And they want to pass on this anger to the people." The Congress on the other hand, Mr Gandhi said, has "love and compassion and not anger." (
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But the 43-year-old Congress leader pulled no punches in his aggressive attack on Mr Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, who he accused of "stealing" the land of poor farmers.
"What kind of
chowkidari (guarding) is it to take away land from farmers and give it to industrialists? This is called theft and not
chowkidari," Mr Gandhi said at a rally in Balasinor, without naming Mr Modi, who is the BJP's candidate for Prime Minister. (
Watch)
In his election speeches Mr Modi pitches himself as the "chowkidar" or "watchman" who will protect the country's treasury if made PM.
The Congress has not officially named Mr Gandhi as its prime ministerial candidate but he is expected to be given the top post should his party win a third straight term at the Centre in next month's general elections.
Mr Gandhi compared his style of leadership with that of Mr Modi's. "There are two kinds of leaders. One, believes in the knowledge of people. He goes to them, asks them and learns from them. Such a leader no pride," Mr Gandhi said, adding, "Hitler best exemplifies the other kind. Hitler thought there was no need to go to people. He believed the entire knowledge of the world was only in his mind...That kind of leader does not require to go to people." (
Highlights of Rahul Gandhi's speech)
The Congress vice president has likened Mr Modi to German dictator Adolf Hitler in the past too.