Sitaram Kesri, a Dalit, wasn't allowed to complete term as Congress chief: PM Modi

Hitting out at the Congress and the Nehru-Gandhi family, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday alleged that Dailt leader Sitaram Kesri was not allowed to complete his term as Congress president, and was "thrown out of office" to make way for Sonia Gandhi as the new party chief.

Addressing a rally on the last day of campaign for the second and final phase of polling for Chhattisgarh Assembly election, Modi said four generations of a family ruled the country and "benefited from being in power", but the country did not benefit from their rule.

"The country knows that Sitaram Kesri, a Dalit, was not allowed to complete his five-year-term as Congress president; he was thrown out of office and into the footpath to make way for Sonia Gandhi as the new party chief," Modi said.

"Earlier Delhi had a remote-controlled government. The remote was in hands of a family which was afraid of the BJP," he said, targeting the Congress and the Gandhis.

Modi challenged the Congress to select someone "capable" as their party president who doesn't belong to "that one family".

"Remember the days when four generations of a family ruled the country. What was the fate of people? They only thought about welfare of one family but never gave a thought about welfare of people. How can we trust them that they will fulfil aspirations of people now," Modi said.

The prime minister claimed that Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh also faced a lot of challenges from the then Congress government at the Centre.

"For 10 years, the Centre was ruled by a 'remote-control' government which never paid attention towards Chhattisgarh," Modi alleged.