New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's behaviour betrayed a "sense of panic" and hit out at him for presiding over a "failed" economy and not delivering on poll promises.
In an interview to PTI, Gandhi said Modi was more of a "publicity minister" than a Prime Minister and was "floundering because of his arrogance".
On his own prospects of becoming the prime minister should the post-Lok Sabha election result scenario permit, Gandhi said it would be arrogant for him to comment on the issue and that people were the masters and they would decide.
"My position is to work for India's betterment and to defend the ideals of the Congress. What happens thereafter is for the people of India to decide."
Accusing the Prime Minister of pushing a particular narrative in the media through the PMO, Gandhi said Modi would not be able to deflect from real issues.
Castigating the PM for failing to deliver on 2014 election promises and presiding over a failed economy, Gandhi said, "Modi's arrogance and thirst for power, his obsession with self-promotion even when that promotion is filled with lies and his false belief that only he has the solution to every one of India's problems and consequently he doesn't need to consult anyone else, is why he is floundering."
He was asked about the key issues before the country, the Congress chief talked about unemployment, plight of farmers, a failed economy and personal corruption of Modi.
He also listed the alleged destruction of institutions, increase in hate and bigotry, a palpable increase in anger and violence in society and attacks on rights of SC-ST's as some other issues that the electorate would consider when it sets out to vote.
The false promises of Modi in 2014 of putting Rs 15 lakh in each individual's bank account, creation of two crore jobs, building of 100 smart cities and bringing back of Rs 80 lakh crore black money from abroad would be major election issues, Gandhi added.
In the midst of all the BJP-created gloom, the Congress' NYAY offered a ray of hope and its incredible scale and transformational potential would make it a key issue in this election, he said.
On the perception that the BJP has an edge in the ongoing war of narratives post the Pulwama attack events, the Congress chief said there was pressure on the entire media created through phone calls and threats of the CBI and Enforcement Directorate to push a particular narrative.
"There's pressure on the media to push a particular narrative that comes out of the PMO. There are some voices in the media who are fighting this pressure and I commend them," he said.
However, the narrative on the ground is clear that Modi has failed at addressing the jobs crisis, agriculture distress and has damaged India's economy.That narrative is not going to shift, he said, adding India was in extreme pain on account of the government's policies and growing unemployment.
"That's not changing. We're going to win this election on those issues and on a positive narrative being set by the NYAY scheme, job creation, investing part of GDP in education and healthcare and addressing agriculture distress," he said.
On electoral funding, Gandhi said while the Congress completely supports the demand for transparency, electoral bonds were actually doing just the opposite.
"Modi, a man who came riding on the plank of fighting corruption, has done everything to encourage corruption. And electoral bond is a principal example," he added.
Asked how important this election was for the Congress after the party was down to 44 in the last Lok Sabha election, Gandhi said, "The last election was an aberration. This election, we will do much better with people's support."
The Congress chief said the party after 2014 had got down to basic brass tacks to rework, rebuild and resurrect the organisation as a whole and it was initiated by decentralising power.
"The grand old party is using technology to communicate more effectively with its workers, right up to the booth level. SHAKTI is one such technology-driven platform that now has over 10 million workers registered on it."
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