Rahul Gandhi compares Modi to Hitler

Rahul Gandhi compares Narendra Modi to Hitler

Agencies | Updated: March 11, 2014

Reuters

Rahul Gandhi gestures to his party workers before addressing a rally ahead of the 2014 general elections at Balasinor town in Gujarat March 11, 2014.

Balasinor: While in Gujarat today, Rahul Gandhi compared  its top man, Chief Minister Narendra Modi, to Adolf Hitler - his sharpest attack yet on a rival who is forecast to beat him in the upcoming general election.

Mr Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, has topped several opinion polls as the most popular choice to head the next government.

His campaign has been studded with promises of getting India out of its economic downturn and creating jobs for the surging young population.

The Congress after a decade in power has been dented by a retinue of corruption scandals.

"There is another type of leader," said Mr Gandhi, who is leading the Congress campaign, after describing Mahatma Gandhi. "The biggest example is Hitler. Hitler, who believed that there was no need to learn from the people and who thought whatever happened in Germany was done by Hitler and that the people had nothing to do with it."

"These are the dialogues of the 1970s. They have no relevance in 2014," said Ravi Shankar Prasad, a senior BJP leader, in response to Mr Gandhi's references to Hitler.

Opinion polls predict that the BJP will win the biggest single chunk of votes, but will still fall short of the 272 seats needed for a majority in the 543-seat parliament.