‘Make in India’ a ‘big zero’, PM Modi took lessons from Manmohan on economy, Rahul Gandhi says

NEW DELHI: Seizing on the Modi-Manmohan meeting, Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the prime minister had invited his predecessor for tutorials following the criticism that the economy was floundering, even as he savaged the RSS for trying to "murder individuality".
"Manmohan Singh yesterday said the economy was going down and the PM took one-hour lesson from our PM. He tried to understand how the economy is run.He said we are unable to understand, what should we do, please tell us," Rahul mocked, in what was another stinging assault on Modi.
"I will ask Manmohan Singh what he taught Modi," Rahul said to wild cheers at an NSUI convention chaired by the students' wing chief Roji John.
Rahul used Singh's visit to the PM's residence on Wednesday evening, which the former's office said was at Modi's invite, to buttress the "poor" report card on BJP's performance in power.
The Congress heir apparent said 'Make in India' would be a failure because the government believes that financing two-three corporate houses would kickstart manufacturing. "It will be a big zero after five years. How many people have got jobs in one year?" he asked.
READ ALSO: When Narendra Modi met Manmohan Singh
Rahul said the "RSS-run government" had the patronizing attitude of imposing solutions on the diverse population while Congress always encouraged people to come up with their own views.
"So, there is one man who knows everything, be it education or farmers' issues. Even on clothes, he knows everything," Rahul said in a veiled reference to the "suit-boot" catchphrase.
Bringing RSS in the line of fire, Rahul said the Hindutva organization was using discipline to obliterate individuality. "You see the shakhas of RSS. There is a straight queue in shakhas. If any one makes a noise there, he will be hit with a baton. Have you talked to any RSS and BJP leader? Discipline is just an excuse for them to murder individuality. And this is the thought process which is running the country," he said.
He contrasted the RSS "order" with the "noisy disorder in Congress", saying, "It took me 10 years to understand there is no order in Congress because our party wants to hear everyone all the time."
Rahul referred to the RSS salute to say, "I don't understand how they do it with their hands. It used to be done in Germany. I would not even try it."
READ ALSO: 'Make in India' plan lacks clarity, admits Parrikar
Urging the students' body to fight the RSS attempt to impose their ideology in colleges, he said, "Where they want to bring 'shakha' order, you take the Congress disorder and tell the students that they should decide for themselves what is acceptable to them."
He said the opposition role for the Congress presented a great opportunity. "We can work very easily because our government is making one mistake after another, be it on farmers' issue or education or Make in India or 'PM's India tour'," he said, adding Modi had even reached Mongolia but not visited farmers or labourers.
READ ALSO: Modi govt pushing RSS agenda in education, Congress says
Read this story in Hindi: मोदी ने मनमोहन से ली थी क्लास — राहुल