Thousands of Indians rallied on Sunday under key opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, who made a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government over soaring unemployment and rising food and fuel prices in the country. Gandhi accused Modi of pursuing policies benefitting big business groups at the expense of small and medium industries and poor farmers and workers. He also said the government was creating an atmosphere of fear and hatred, in reference to Hindu-Muslim tensions. He said the prices of petrol, diesel, cooking gas and essential food items like wheat have shot up 40%-175% since Modi came to power eight years ago. Without naming the business leaders, Gandhi said two key groups were running India’s ports, airports, oil refineries, information technology sector and big media houses. The rally was held at Ramlila Ground in New Delhi, which is used for religious festivals, major political meetings and entertainment events. The Modi government says it has provided millions of people with toilets, gas connections, drinking water, bank accounts, free health insurance and homes. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman defended the government’s handling of the economy in Parliament and said there was zero probability of India slipping into recession despite battling the COVID-19 pandemic and supply-chain disruptions caused by the ongoing Ukrainian conflict. The rally came three days ahead of the start of Gandhi’s 3,500 kilometers (2,185 miles) walking tour covering Indian cities, towns and villages over the next five months.