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‘Being in power key for Modi govt, not welfare’: Priyanka Gandhi in Rajasthan
Priyanka Gandhi also asked people to ask the Prime Minister and BJP leaders why they talk of religion and caste instead of development during elections
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday hit out at the Narendra Modi government, saying its sole objective is to remain in power, not on public welfare, and that it only works for “industrialist friends”. She also asked people to ask the Prime Minister and BJP leaders why they talk of religion and caste instead of development during elections.
Addressing a public meeting at Sikrai in poll-bound Rajasthan’s Dausa district, the Congress general secretary said the BJP was facing division whereas the Congress was united and sitting on the stage together.
She asked whether Modi would quit as PM and become the chief minister in Rajasthan, while targeting the BJP for contesting Rajasthan assembly elections on Modi’s face.
“The focus of Modi and BJP is not on your well-being. How to remain in power, how to strengthen themselves, this is their only goal and their focus is on this only. It has become their policy to take money out of poor people’s pockets and give it to the big industrialists,” she said.
She asked when the BJP was in power, how many schemes did it launch in the state.
In the rally over Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP), the party also presented a united face and the leaders including Priyanka Gandhi, CM Ashok Gehlot and former deputy CM Sachin Pilot talked about unity.
Attacking the BJP leaders over politics around religion, she said that people will have to understand why they talk about religion and caste during elections instead of issues related to development.
“Whenever elections come, they talk about religion and caste. No Indian can deny the issue of protection of religion and advancement of religion, it is something to which all of us are emotionally attached but it will have to be understood carefully as to why they talk about it only at the time of elections and why development is not being talked about,” she said.
Gandhi pointed out why the BJP leaders were not telling why money for the old pension scheme cannot be given. “When the Congress governments are giving OPS in states, then what problem are they facing?” she said.
Gandhi said that Congress runs schemes for public welfare in states which creates pressure on BJP to make such announcements but they do not want it.
Criticising the Agnipath scheme, she said that such a scheme has been brought at a time when unemployment rate in the country is highest in 45 years.
“Wherever I go, youth tell me that they are not interested in preparing for army recruitment now. Perhaps the number of applications would be very less this year,” she said.
She said, “Today the entire (BJP) party is divided, there is no sign of unity. But hzre (Congress) the entire party is sitting unitedly on the stage,” she said.
Gehlot said the people of Rajasthan are betrayed in the name of ERCP. “It was a project started by Raje government and we took it forward. The GoI and its ministers are misguiding the people on the issue, we will expose them,” he said.
He said the investigative agencies such as ED, IT and CBI are being misused, they are conducting raids under political pressure. “This election will decide the future of Congress and the country. BJP is scared and giving tickets to MPs as they do not have candidates. We are fighting these elections on work and performance,” said the CM.
Congress leader Sachin Pilot said the central government is discriminating on ERCP. The central ministers had stated that they will declare ERCP as a national project, but despite having all 25 nothing has been done. “If our government forms, we will include many other deprived villages in the DPR,” he said. “Congress wave is going on and we will form Congress government in all four states. The tradition of change in Rajasthan, needs to be changed,” he said.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala hit back at Priyanka Gandhi, saying that she has visited Rajasthan as a political tourist but does not know the reality of women, youth or farmers in the state.
Poonawala said Vadra had given the slogan, ‘Ladki hun, lad sakti hun’ bur she does not speak up for women of Rajasthan. “Women of Rajasthan are asking Priyanka Gandhi that Ladki hun toh Rajasthan mei Bach sakti hun.” He said heinous rapes have taken place in Rajasthan but Vadra never spoke up for women in Rajasthan.
