Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the reason for the breakdown of institutional structures is because the "man who runs this country" believes in "violence and indiscriminate power."
"There is a reason for the breakdown of our institutional structures, a reason that people are taking law into their own hands. It is because the man who is running this country believes in violence and indiscriminate power," Gandhi said while addressing party workers in Sultan Bathery here.
He added: "You have seen the increase in violence across the country, lawlessness and atrocities against women. Every day, we read about some woman being raped, molested and thrashed. The violence against minority communities and hatred being spread against them."
Adding that there is a reason for the increase in violence, the Congress leader said: "We read about violence against Dalits, thrashing them and cutting off their arms. Atrocities against Tribals, snatching their land. There is a reason for this dramatic increase in violence. You cannot believe in violence and hatred and then expect that violence and hatred not to spread."
Further, he said: "There is a revolt among a large number of communities in India. Many different communities are revolting against the government of India. They are revolting against the ideology of Narendra Modi and the RSS."
Hitting out at the Central government over the current economic crisis, Gandhi said: "Our biggest strength used to be our economy. Now, our biggest strength has been turned into our biggest weakness. Our GDP used to be 9 per cent during the UPA regime. Today, it is 4 per cent, after the way the government changed the way they measured GDP."
"So if you apply the old method of measuring GDP that used to apply during the UPA time, the actual growth rate of India is 2.5 per cent," he said.
Asserting that the reason behind economic slowdown and the rise in violence is due to the failure of leadership, the former Congress President said: "The Prime Minister has no concept about our culture, religion, and the way this country needs to be run. Nobody who believes in violence can understand this country."
"The world used to look towards India for direction. Towards Mahatma Gandhi, non-violence, love and affection. Today, they look at us and say that India does not know how to treat its own women, it does not know how to create jobs for its people and the Indian economy is a failure. It is because there is a complete failure of leadership in the country," he added.
Lashing out at Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her recent statement that she does not eat onion, the Congress leader said: "There is a debate going on in the parliament on the onion price hike and the Finance Minister says that she does not eat onion and garlic. Which world is she living in? Where is she? Nobody asked her what she eats. The country asked her why the price of onions keeps going up."
"The country asked her why India has the highest unemployment rate in the last 45 years? And the Finance Minister answers that she doesn't eat onions. It is an absurd situation in the country. The reason for all these is a failure of leadership," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )