Lok Sabha elections a fight to save democracy, says Gandhi
The former party chief, who addressed two rallies in Rajasthan, sharpened his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for indulging in large-scale corruption through electoral bonds
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the upcoming Lok Sabha elections were a contest between the “poor and 22-25 billionaires” in the country, and a battle to save the country’s democracy.
The former party chief, who addressed two rallies in Rajasthan, sharpened his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for indulging in large-scale corruption through electoral bonds.
At his first rally in Anupgarh in Bikaner Lok Sabha constituency, Gandhi said, “It is an election of the backwards, Dalits, tribals and poor people in the general category.”
The biggest issue in the country today is unemployment, followed by inflation, Gandhi said. “Ask anyone. Unemployment is the biggest issue in the country. Inflation comes second. Ninety per cent people will say inflation but if you follow the media, it will seem that the most important issue is Ambani’s (son’s) wedding. (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi’s face will be seen in the media 24 hours a day. Sometimes he will go under the sea, sometimes he will be seen flying in a seaplane, sometimes he will be seen beating a thali, sometimes he will be seen asking people to show the flashlight of their mobile phones,” he said.
He said that the job of the media is to raise the voice of the public but it never speaks about the public’s issues and the “billionaire” owners who control them will not allow the media persons to speak “right” questions.
“Two-three percent people get employment in media, 15-20 people control the media and these people praise Modi 24 hours,” he said.
Later, at a rally in Phalodi in the Jodhpur constituency, he accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of indulging in corruption through electoral bonds.
“Extortion is going on and its name is electoral bonds,” Gandhi said as he campaigned in support of the Congress candidate Karan Singh Uchiyarda.
The Congress leader said industrialist Gautam Adani’s stock prices started rising after 2014, when the BJP came to power at the Centre, and continue to rise because India knows that Adani and the prime minister have a very good relationship.
“Modi said ‘I want to eliminate corruption’ and brought the electoral bonds scheme. Industrialists gave thousands of crores of rupees to the BJP (through the electoral bonds). Modi said no one should know the name of the person who gives money under the scheme. A few days ago, the Supreme Court said the scheme is illegal and should be cancelled,” Gandhi said.
Rajasthan will go to the polls in two phases, on April 19 and April 26. Polling for 12 Lok Sabha seats will be held in the first phase on April 19, while the remaining 13 seats will be polled in the second phase on April 26.
