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Priyanka targets Modi for seeking votes in lieu of salt
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra takes exception of PM Narendra Modi’s observations of linking ‘salt’ with ‘loyalty’ and said the BJP government did not want to make the people of the state self-reliant
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Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for linking ‘salt’ with ‘loyalty’ and hinting that those who have eaten the ration and salt (being distributed by BJP government) would not ditch him in the 2022 assembly polls.
The PM, while addressing an election rally in Hardoi on Sunday, had said: “I know that in villages people are talking of the BJP government’s free ration scheme and saying ‘humne Modi ka namak khaya hai, hum Modi ko dhokha nahi denge (we have tasted Modi’s salt, we won’t ditch him).”
Addressing public meetings in Jagdishpur and Salon assembly segments of Amethi, Priyanka took strong exception of PM’s observations and said the BJP government did not want to make the people of the state self-reliant.
She said the BJP government had instead pushed the people in such a situation that they were now dependent on government for such freebies.
Amethi was once considered to be Nehru-Gandhi family’s bastion. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had lost the 2019 Lok Sabha election from the seat to union minister Smriti Irani.
Priyanka along with her brother Rahul had visited the constituency in December 2021 and, apparently, began their bid to reclaim the family’s bastion.
Priyanka referred to BHEL, the TPC, HAL and other PSUs to make her point that the BJP government was selling them to select friendly industrialists and said the local youths could have been provided jobs there.
She also mentioned the Congress manifesto, including the ‘bharti vidhan’ brought out for the young generation, to assert how the BJP government failed to provide jobs.
She said about 12 lakh vacancies existed in various departments of the state government while the Yogi Adityanath government had claimed to have carried out recruitment on only 4 lakh vacant posts.
Referring to the problem of stray cattle, she said the problem existed even at the time of 2019 Lok Sabha elections and added that the PM, however, was now claiming he was not aware of the problem.
She also referred to the steps taken by the Chhattisgarh government to deal with the problem of stray cattle to make her point that the issue could have been resolved in the same manner in Uttar Pradesh.
Priyanka also did door-to-door campaigning in the constituency. On way to Amethi, Priyanka performed ‘puja’ at the ‘Mari Mata Ka Mandir’ on Sultanpur road. She also went to some other temples in Amethi in between campaigning.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the BJP government had pushed the people in such a situation that they were now dependent on government for freebies.
