Narendra Modi today tore into Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on his home turf in Maharashtra, calling him a "devotee" of the Gandhi family who day and night only thinks of keeping "Madam" happy.
Continuing his attack on Congress and Rahul Gandhi, the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate said the country does not trust the party which "failed" to keep the promises made to people during previous elections.
Speaking at a poll rally in Solapur, Modi also targeted Union minister and NCP leader Sharad Pawar besides Shinde and Rahul. Shinde is seeking re-election from Solapur.
"Shindeji, your are the home minister. Why did you not think that the uniforms made by local weavers be provided to police so that local people get livelihood," he said. Solapur town is famous for weavers who produce the popular 'Solapur chadar'.
"But he (Shinde) only thinks day and night of how to keep Madam (Sonia Gandhi) happy. These are people who are devotees of a family," he said.
"What kind of a family devotion is this that chief ministers, cabinet ministers and party functionaries are all devoted to a single family?" Modi said.
"They (Congressmen) offer 'prasad' and perform 'aarti' (of the Gandhi family). They are not bothered about you. When the 'family' is happy, the happiness of Shinde's generations is ensured," he said.
Modi also claimed that Congress treated "poverty like tourism" and "visited the homes of the poor with TV cameras in tow and show it off to the world."
Invoking his humble tea seller origin, Modi attacked "born-with-the-golden-spoon" Rahul Gandhi, saying his rival hardly knew what poverty was.
"They go to poor pople's homes, eat their food, snap photos and show to the world. They don't know what poverty is.
They were born with a golden spoon. What will they know about poverty?" Modi said, adding, "They have not seen poverty. I was born into poverty. I used to sell tea on trains." Modi also asked the audience at the rally whether there was any reason why the UPA government in Delhi should be re-elected? "Hasn't the government broken your trust." "Sushilkumar Shinde and Sharad Pawar made promises to you. Haven't they broken the promise to weavers," Modi said.
"You garner votes by making false promises. It is the Congress' habit of making false promises to win polls." In Latur, Modi raked up the 'murder' of local Youth Congress leader Kalpana Giri, allegedly by a senior office-bearer, to criticise Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the Central government over their "insensitivity" towards security of women.
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