RAJKOT: Young turks — Hardik Patel, Jignesh Mewani and Kanhaiya Kumar — launched a bitter attack on the BJP at ‘Save Constitution, Save Nation’ rally held in the saffron party’s traditional stronghold Rajkot on Wednesday.The troika hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over an array of issues including farmers’ suicide, slapping sedition charges, black money, unemployment and ‘destruction’ of institutions like CBI and communalism.Kanhaiya, the former JNU Students Union leader, praised Hardik and Mewani saying that the social revolution they initiated will be etched in Gujarat’s history. “It is because of these two that slogans of Jai Sardar and Jai Bhim are being chanted together in this rally. Our fight is for equality which has been enshrined in the country’s Constitution. Referring to the allegations of being anti-national levelled against him, Kanhaiya said, “If I am working against the country, you have police, CBI, RAW and ED by your side. You can’t arrest one person?,” and challenged the government to file a defamation suit against him.“The land of Gujarat was known for being the birthplace of Sardar Patel and Gandhiji. But the pair of Modi and Amit Shah have tarnished the state’s image which was that of peace, unity, non-violence and progress,” he said.Heavy police deployment was made along the one-and-a-half km rally route from Hospital Chowk to Limbda Chowk and Shastri Maidan, the venue of public meeting.Kanhaiya also raised the issue of his posters being blackened in the city. “You can blacken my face. But I am not tarnished with corruption, suicide of 12,000 farmers and the defence deals.” He challenged ministers and spokepersons of Modi government for a public debate. “Modi has made an ordinary student his enemy. My mother is an aanganwadi worker earning Rs 3,000 salary, father a farmer and brother a martyr.”Addressing the rally, Mewani raked up the post-Godhra communal riots and fake encounters saying that an honest investigation will reveal the names of real perpetrators. “We were given false promise of generating employment for two crore people each year, but this has been nothing but a gimmick,” the Vadgam MLA said.Referring to Statue of Unity, Mewani said, “Instead of splurging money on statues of Sardar Patel or Dr Ambedkar, government should open general hospitals in the name of these great leaders of India.” Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel raised the local issues of increasing crime rate and water scarcity in Rajkot. “Some local leaders are protesting against our rally, but such so-called nationalists are blind to heinous crimes happening in their own backyard in Rajkot and Saurashtra. Narmada water has only remained an illusion for people here.”

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