'Ab bhashan hi shasan hai': Rahul Gandhi steps up attack on Narendra Modi as Gujarat votes in first phase

New Delhi: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday stepped up attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking why there is no mention of development in his speeches during the Gujarat election campaign. [caption id=“attachment_4248685” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Rahul Gandhi. AP[/caption] Gandhi said he did not get an answer to even one of the 10 questions he had asked Modi on Gujarat’s report card, despite the BJP being in power in the state for 22 years, and wondered if governance meant mere speeches. “BJP has its government in Gujarat for 22 years. I will only ask, what is the reason development is missing in the prime minister’s speeches.” “I asked 10 questions on Gujarat’s report card but no answers came. No manifesto till the campaign for the first phase of polling ended. So, ‘ab bhashan hi shasan hai’ (does governance mean mere speeches now),” he asked on Twitter. Taking on Modi, the Congress leaders have started “a question a day” series on social networking site with the tagline “22 saal ka hisab, Gujarat maange jawab”. (22 years of account, Gujarat demands answers). The Congress is seeking to wrest power from the BJP and Gandhi has spearheaded the attack, often targeting the prime minister over the claims of development and questioning the ‘Gujarat model’. As polling began on Saturday for the first phase of Gujarat elections, the Congress vice-president welcomed the first-time youth voters of the state and urged all to help make the festival of democracy a success. “Participation of voters is the soul of democracy. Welcome all the first-time youth voters of Gujarat. Appeal to all voters to vote to help make a success of this festival of democracy,” he said on Twitter. The second phase of the Assembly polls is on 14 December. The results will be out on 18 December.