Rahul Gandhi accuses Narendra Modi of snatching panchayats' rights in Jharkhand

Continuing his tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that the former was snatching the rights of panchayats in Jharkhand.

"You must ask Prime Minister Modiji a question, if he doesn't want land in Jharkhand, then why is he snatching the rights of the panchayats," he said. Gandhi also blamed Prime Minister Modi for doing the same thing in every law.

"In MGNREGA, we gave authority to the panchayat, but he took away power from them, RTI never worked in Gujarat, whatever was done there to the tribals and the land, that is history," Gandhi said. "There are two ways to run a government. One is to empower the public, give them the authority and second is to run the country from the Centre, from the Prime Minister's Office," he added while emphasizing that his fight in Jharkhand is for the weaker sections of the society.

Addressing a rally in Shikaripara in Dumka district earlier in the day, the Congress vice-president had said that farmers, tribals and women of the state must be empowered for development, adding that he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a difference of opinion over what method was best to take the state forward. The final phase of the five-phased assembly elections in Jharkhand will take place on December 20, with the counting of the votes scheduled to take place on December 23.