Rahul Gandhi files nomination from Kerala's Wayanad, hits out at PM Narendra Modi

Congress President Rahul Gandhi files nomination from Wayanad parliamentary constituency.

File photo

Kalpetta: Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is fighting the Lok Sabha elections from his traditional bastion Amethi in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday filed nomination from Wayanad--a Congress stronghold in South India.

Gandhi, accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi and senior Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Mukul Wasnik, submitted the papers before district collector AR Ajayakumar at Wayanad district headquarters here.

After filing his nomination, Rahul said that he was fighting the polls from down south to send a message that India was one. "I have come to Kerala to send a message that India is one. South, north, east, west, centre... All are one... There is an assault taking place across the country by the RSS and BJP. I just want to send a message and I will stand from south India and north India. My aim was to give a message," he said.

"There is a feeling in south India that the way the Narendra Modi government is functioning, their (south) culture, language, history all are being attacked. So I wanted to give a message that I will fight from north and south," Rahul said. 

On Wednesday, Union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani had alleged that Rahul's decision to contest from Wayanad was an insult to the people of Amethi. 

In the meantime, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi assured the people of Wayanad that her brother will not let them down and asked them to take care of him.

"My brother, my truest friend, and by far the most courageous man I know. Take care of him Wayanad, he wont let you down," she tweeted after the roadshow.

My brother, my truest friend, and by far the most courageous man I know. Take care of him Wayanad, he wont let you down. pic.twitter.com/80CxHlP24T — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) April 4, 2019

Attacking Modi on the issue of corruption, Rahul quipped that the country had imposed their faith on Modi when he called himself a 'chowkidar' but he betrayed the trust of the people by giving Anil Ambani Rs 30,000 crore of Air Force money.

"He stole money and given it to Anil Ambani who has no experience. Anil Ambani is in Rs 45,000 crore debt," Gandhi alleged, once again attacking the NDA government over the Rafale deal.