Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday dismissed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that Kerala is as much his as Varanasi, PTI reported. Modi, who represents Varanasi in Parliament, had made the comment in Guruvayur town the previous day.

Gandhi, who addressed a public meeting in Engapuzha town in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency to thank voters for electing him to the Lok Sabha, accused the prime minister of meting out step-motherly treatment to states where the Bharatiya Janata Party is not in power. “The prime minister considers BJP-ruled states and non-BJP ruled states differently,” Gandhi alleged. “I know he will never consider Kerala the way he considers Uttar Pradesh because the CPI(M) is ruling here.”

The Congress president said he was not expecting any cooperation from the prime minister and the BJP-led government at the Centre for the development of Wayanad and the state. Referring to his meeting with Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA CK Saseendran, whose Kalpetta Assembly seat falls under the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, Gandhi said “ideological differences” between the Congress and the Left would be set aside and both parties would work together for the development of the region.

However, the BJP and Modi would not cooperate like that, he alleged. “Because they are blinded by hatred and anger...because either you follow the ideology of the RSS or you are not an Indian,” said the Congress leader. “We will fight that and I promise you that we will not be ruled by Nagpur [where the RSS headquarters is located].”

On Saturday, the Congress president had said Modi’s Lok Sabha election campaign was filled with “lies, poison and hatred” while the Congress stood for truth, love and affection.

Gandhi started his three-day visit to Wayanad on Friday. He met senior leaders of the United Democratic Front, including Ramesh Chennithala and PK Kunhalikutty, and conducted roadshows in Nilambur and Eranad. He took out a roadshow in Mukkam on Sunday before leaving for New Delhi in the afternoon. These events were attended by hundreds of Congress workers and local people, many of whom wore T-shirts with slogans such as “Rahul we need you” and “Rahul pada [army]”.