VARANASI/SONBHADRA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday mocked at UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi as “delicate” people incapable of taking hard decisions while pitching himself as a grassroots leader who can develop the state.

Addressing a public meeting in his parliamentary constituency, Modi said the SP and the BSP are two sides of the same coin with the former being A (Akhilesh) SP and B (Bahujan) SP.

Taking potshots at the Congress over its run of losses in the recent polls, he said one day, research would be done to find out if it once existed, as it is “disappearing from everywhere.” While Akhilesh has inherited his political powers from his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, Gandhi has got it from “so many of his forefathers”, Modi said while using a local term, ‘ghelua’ (what comes free of cost) for the two leaders. “They are such delicate people who cannot take hard decisions. They think what if they lose what they got. I have not got anything in inheritance. “Whatever I have got is due to the blessing of the people of Kashi. I can take hard decisions to rid the country of its problems. I have the courage to do so,” the Prime Minister said. Demonetisation, he said, has brought the SP, BSP and the Congress on the same side in its opposition while the country was supported it. Modi presented himself as the one who will take up the job of developing the state, especially the eastern parts which are going to polls on March 8, if the BJP is voted to power. Reaching out to small traders who are in significant numbers here, he said they would not be touched by his government’s drive against corruption as the politicians and ‘babus’ have looted the country all these years. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Sonbhadra o Sunday said that the Narendra Modi government has waived loans worth Rs 1.40 lakh crore owed by 50 rich people but it has refused to write-off Rs 50,000 crore due to the poor farmers. Addressing an election rally in Sonbhadra, Gandhi said, “I have myself seen the plight of poor farmers who are under tremendous debts. I met the ‘benevolent’ Prime Minister and urged him to waive the loans of farmers worth Rs 50,000 crore, but he declined.” Seeking to strike a contrast, he said the previous UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh had waived the farmers’ loans amounting to over Rs 70,000 crore within 10 days of coming to power. The Congress Vice President also accused the Modi government of not fulfilling its electoral promise of tackling unemployment, which he termed as the biggest challenge before the people. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has completed more than two-and-half years in office. He had promised that every year, he would give employment to two crore youngsters in the country. But till date, no significant employment has been provided,” he said. Speaking about the hardships faced by farmers, Gandhi said they get meagre prices for their agricultural produce after putting in days of hardwork. “Potato is being purchased from the farmers at just Rs 2 per kg. If our government is formed, we would bring down the difference of price (between the raw product and finished product),” he said. He slammed BJP and BSP and said only the Congress-SP alliance could bring development to UP. “Five women’s universities would be established in the state, free coaching would be ensured to poor children, loans of the farmers would be waived, and students studying in government schools would get Rs 500 per month, while those who pass class 12th would get Rs 30,000,” Gandhi said. He also promised that women police stations would be established in every block of the state and reservation would be given to women in police recruitment. He also said that if his party comes to power in the state Duddhi, a tehsil headquarters would be made a district headquarters. The agitation to make Duddhi a district headquarters has been going on for the past 5 years.—PTI