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Rahul Gandhi, Smriti Irani trade Ayodhya barbs in Amethi
In her counter-attack, Smriti Irani said: “Empty streets of Amethi greeted Rahul’s nyay yatra and (this) is proof of the popular anger against those who skipped the Ram temple invite.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reached Amethi with his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on Monday the same day on which local MP and Union minister Smriti Irani arrived for her Jan Samvad Vikas Yatra here. Both leaders referred to the January 22 Ram Mandir consecration ceremony to put up their respective cases -- Rahul Gandhi questioned the absence of President Droupadi Murmu from the Ayodhya event and Smriti hit back by criticising the Congress top leadership for skipping the Ram temple ceremony.
Besides, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that another chance to the BJP would mean the “end of democracy.”
Kharge also raised the issue of the income tax department freezing the Congress’s account and said it was another proof of the BJP government giving democracy a go by.
“Vote for Congress to save Constitution, democracy,” Kharge said.
In her counter-attack, Smriti Irani said: “Empty streets of Amethi greeted Rahul’s Nyay Yatra and (this) is proof of the popular anger against those who skipped the Ram temple invite. Now, the family has left the Rae Bareli seat as well.”
Though Rahul Gandhi kept the suspense going over if he would recontest from Amethi against Irani, who defeated him in 2019 in the Modi wave, he wasted little time in tearing into the BJP over not inviting the President to the consecration event to build his case about the BJP government not caring about OBCs, Dalits, tribals and minorities who, he said, make up for 88% of the total population.
“Did you see the Ram Mandir event? It was a grand event. Top business leaders were there, so was Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amitabh Bachchan, and Aishwarya Rai. But did you see any Dalit faces? Our President is a tribal woman, and she wasn’t there. Did you see any farmer or labourer during the event? No backwards were seen during the event,” Rahul Gandhi said, soon after he entered Amethi with his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Rampur Karkhana assembly constituency, one of the two assembly segments where Congress candidates won in the 2022 U.P. polls.
“That is why I say that this is their India, not yours. Your job is to raise ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans while they make money,” Rahul Gandhi said at a public rally in which he targeted the BJP governments at the Centre and the state.
Rahul Gandhi, who received a warm response, from Congress cadres and commoners at several places during the yatra, also reiterated that the promise of ensuring MSP for farmers and caste census would be factored into the Congress manifesto as proof of the party’s “legal commitment” on the subjects.
“About 73% of the electorate comprises of OBCs, Dalits and tribals. Include minorities and this goes up to 88%. The BJP is shying away from guaranteeing caste census claiming it would lead to division in society and thus making it clear that it is against ensuring representation to these classes. On our part, we, as well as INDIA bloc, have committed ourselves to ensuring caste census so that appropriate policies could be made for the people based on their population,” Rahul Gandhi said.
He also hit out at the BJP for allegedly stopping farmers who are demanding MSP.
“Farmers were stopped from entering the national capital but why? After all, all they are asking for is MSP and it is not such a big thing. The Congress party promises legal guarantee of MSP for farmers if voted to power,” Rahul Gandhi said to applause.
The senior Congress leader is on a Manipur-Mumbai Yatra covering 15 states ahead of the Lok Sabha election though Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who was expected to accompany Rahul in his yatra in Amethi/Rae Bareli, subsequently announced that he would join it after the seat-sharing pact was finalised.
