Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was psychologically broken, obsessed with his “mann ki baat” but never paying any attention to “kaam ki baat”.

Rahul, during his election speeches in Jammu’s Poonch and Srinagar, repeated his strategy to paint Modi as a weak leader, refusing to take the bait of the Prime Minister and home minister Amit Shah who have attempted to cast his party and its ally, the National Conference, as anti-nationals allegedly running Pakistan’s agenda.

It was Rahul’s second election-related visit to Jammu and Kashmir this month. Modi, too, has visited Jammu and Kashmir twice while Shah and other senior ministers have made multiple trips.

“He (Modi) makes long speeches, meaningless speeches, talks about his mann ki baat but does not know any kaam ki baat, which is to remove unemployment, reduce inflation, give vision to youth and return statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Modi will not talk about these things. He talks about mann ki baat 24 hours a day and today there is nobody willing to listen to it,” Rahul told a gathering in Srinagar.

The Congress leader said the INDIA bloc has shattered Modi’s confidence.

“Earlier, he would speak with his chest expanded but the INDIA bloc has managed to break Modi’s psychology. Modi’s confidence is lost,” Rahul said.

“He is not the Modi of yore. I see him very closely in the Lok Sabha while people see him from a distance. His mood has changed, his face has changed. The credit for this goes to the INDIA combine.”

The Congress leader also touched upon the common complaint that “outsiders” were running Jammu and Kashmir.

“He (Modi) has not only snatched your democratic rights in Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, you used to take all decisions about your development, universities, colleges, education, health. You would do it yourself by electing MLAs,” he said.

“Today you don’t take your decisions. Outsiders are taking your decisions. They have installed a Raja. The lieutenant governor is a Raja, he is an outsider, not from Jammu and Kashmir. This man cannot do any development work for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”

Rahul said his party wanted statehood to precede elections but since it has not happened, the Congress would mount pressure on the Centre to do it at the earliest after the Assembly polls.

“If they do not give you your statehood back, I guarantee you, we will give you your statehood back. This is your right,” he said.

During his speech at Katra on September 19, Modi had said Pakistan was doing a “balle balle” over the alleged agenda of the Congress and the National Conference of restoring Article 370.

Though the NC is openly batting for Article 370, the Congress is silent on the matter.

The second phase of polling will take place on September 25. Fifteen constituencies in central Kashmir, including Srinagar, and 11 in Jammu will vote in the second leg.

Former chief minister Omar Abdullah’s fate will be tested in the second phase. He is contesting from Budgam and Ganderbal.