South 24 Parganas

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday intensified his criticism of the central government, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party are constantly targeting him.

Addressing a public rally in South 24 Parganas ahead of the second phase of the West Bengal elections, Gandhi asserted that attempts to silence him would not succeed, adding that he remains unafraid of the Prime Minister.

He claimed that he has faced multiple legal cases, lost his official residence, and even his Lok Sabha membership, while also being subjected to prolonged questioning. Despite these developments, he maintained that he would continue to speak out without fear.

Earlier, at a separate rally in Hooghly, Gandhi criticised the government’s handling of India’s relations with the United States. He alleged that the Prime Minister had compromised key national interests in a trade arrangement with Washington and suggested that such decisions were made under external pressure, referring to US President Donald Trump.

The Congress leader also targeted the Trinamool Congress and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing the state government of weakening industrial growth and failing to address unemployment.

He further criticised economic measures such as demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST), arguing that these policies adversely affected small traders and micro, small and medium enterprises while favouring a limited group of large industrialists.

Gandhi also levelled corruption allegations against both the BJP and the TMC, citing past financial scandals and accusing sections of the state’s political leadership of involvement in illegal activities and patronage-based governance. He alleged that job opportunities in the state were not being distributed fairly and questioned the implementation of employment promises made during previous elections.

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His remarks came after the first phase of polling in West Bengal concluded with a turnout of 91.78 per cent, as reported by the Election Commission of India. The second phase of voting is scheduled for April 29, while counting of votes will take place on May 4.