Raiganj (West Bengal)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday launched a two-pronged attack in poll-bound West Bengal, accusing the BJP and the RSS of destroying the Constitution with their "hate-filled thinking", while claiming the ruling TMC has failed in fulfilling its promise of providing jobs to the state's youth.

Addressing poll rallies in Raiganj and Malda, Gandhi claimed that 84 lakh youths in Bengal have applied for the unemployment allowance promised by the Mamata Banerjee government.

"Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee promised jobs to five lakh people. But 84 lakh youths have applied for unemployment allowance," he said.

Targeting the BJP and RSS, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha accused the two outfits of destroying the Constitution by their "hate-filled thinking" and being "involved in vote theft".

Gandhi termed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls "unconstitutional" and alleged that wherever the BJP and RSS get a chance, they make insinuations against the Constitution.

He accused the BJP of pitting one community against the other in the name of religion and caste to win elections.

Gandhi claimed that once the Congress forms a government, the names of those wrongly struck off the electoral rolls under SIR will be reinstated.

Claiming the Trinamool Congress cannot take on the BJP across the country, he said the Congress is the only party which can stand up against and defeat the saffron camp.

Gandhi accused the TMC of being responsible for "joblessness" in West Bengal. "The TMC has closed all industries in Bengal and is running the state through syndicates," he alleged.

Claiming the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre has not given Rs 2 lakh crore due for Bengal and also deprived the state of funds under the MNREGA, the Congress leader said, "The TMC is also not far behind in corruption."

Referring to ponzi scams such as the Saradha and Rose Valley cases, he claimed that "syndicates run by TMC members" benefit from graft. Gandhi also accused the TMC of indulging in violence and making false promises.

Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over India and the US agreeing on a trade deal, the former Congress chief said, "It will lead to closure of small and mid-size industries, and cause job loss in India."

Gandhi claimed that 35 lakh documents of the controversial Epstein files are yet to be made public, and the key to that is with US President Donald Trump.

"PM Modi's control is in the hands of Trump," Gandhi said while slamming the prime minister over the India-US trade deal, claiming that it would "harm the people of the country, including Bengal, the workers, farmers and small traders".

He alleged that PM Modi has opened up the country's agriculture sector to the USA, allowing it to sell its farm produce in India.

"India's agricultural sector will be devastated. Modi sold off India in the trade deal with the US. He is not 'desh bhakt' (patriot), he is 'deshdrohi' (traitor)," Gandhi alleged while addressing the rally in Malda, where the Congress traditionally has had a strong presence.

The Congress leader also accused the Modi government of handing over India's energy security to the US by "succumbing to Washington's pressure".

Stating that data security is of paramount importance as a country's strength is built on it, Gandhi accused the Modi government of giving up India's data to the USA. "National security has been badly harmed by this," he said.

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Alleging that the Modi government has given a commitment to the US that it would buy goods from it worth Rs 9.5 lakh crore, Gandhi said, "If American goods enter India like a tsunami, then our country's small and medium scale factories will close down."

"This will cause double loss for Bengal since Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already closed down industries in the state," he said.