Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi’s statements allegedly against industrialists will discourage businesses from investing in Congress-ruled states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed on Sunday.

At a rally in Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur, Modi claimed, without naming Gandhi, that the Congress leader was opposing industries, industrialists and investments.

He questioned which industrialists would be willing to invest in states ruled by the Congress or its allies, naming Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh.

“Congress’ prince opposes industries, industrialists and investment every day,” Modi said, in an apparent reference to Gandhi. “In the coming days, which industrialist will go to their state and invest capital? What will happen to the youth of those states?”

Modi did not mention the comments by Gandhi, allegedly against industrialists, he was referring to.

The Congress is not part of the state governments in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

Modi claimed that the Congress views industrialists as enemies of the country.

“Its [Congress’] leaders openly say that we attack those businesspersons who do not give us money,” the prime minister alleged. “This means that parties such as the Congress and JMM [Jharkhand Mukti Morcha] are not concerned about the country’s industries. They are only concerned with corruption and extortion.”

The Congress and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha are part of the state’s ruling coalition and constituents of the Opposition INDIA bloc.

Modi claimed that industrialists tell him that they are unwilling to invest in states ruled by the Opposition because these states are ideologically against industrialists.

“After listening to the language of the prince, which industrialist will go there?” Modi questioned. “They will think 50 times before going there. If the leader of the party is speaking like this then the chief ministers of those states will have a similar mindset and their [industrialists’] money will be wasted.”

The polling in the Jamshedpur Lok Sabha constituency will take place on May 25.

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