Priyanka Gandhi: Modi toured entire world, didn't visit Varanasi

"The prime minister travels across the globe, undertakes boat rides in Varanasi, but he has not visited the villages in his parliamentary constituency," she said during a roadshow in favour of Congress' Unnao candidate Annu Tandon

Unnao/Barabanki: Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed his nomination seeking re-election from Varanasi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Saturday accused him of not visiting a single village there. "The prime minister travels across the globe, undertakes boat rides in Varanasi, but he has not visited the villages in his parliamentary constituency," she said during a roadshow in favour of Congress' Unnao candidate Annu Tandon.

"The prime minister should at least visit a village in his constituency, speak to the people and try to understand the reality," she said. Similar remarks by Priyanka Gandhi earlier had fuelled speculation that she may contest against PM Modi from Varanasi, but the party Thursday fielded Ajay Rai from the seat, ending the possibility of a face off between the two.

Before embarking on the roadshow in Unnao, the Congress general secretary for Uttar Pradesh east garlanded a statue of former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. During the campaign, she spoke to people as her supporters showered her with flower petals. As the roadshow reached Bade Chauraha, some BJP workers tried to disrupt it by waiving black handkerchiefs at her.

They raised slogans in favour of Modi. Retaliating, Congress workers also raised slogans. Sensing trouble, police intervened and pushed BJP supporters back. Priyanka Gandhi claimed the prime minister has no time for the poor and that "his government is anti-people and anti-farmer". "I am touring UP for the past two months... farmers have complained of stray animals. They are in debt... Women feel unsafe," she claimed. Priyanka Gandhi alleged that the BJP government's policies benefitted only a handful of industrialists. The Congress general secretary also held a roadshow in Barabanki and offered prayers at Dewa Sharif, the shrine of Sufi saint Haji Waris Ali.

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