‘PM Modi has a problem when Congress provides benefits to poor’: Mallikarjun Kharge

Kharge's comments came a day after Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot announced to waive electricity bill on consumption of power till first 100 units.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that PM provides benefits to industrialists but whenever Congress tries to mobilise the resources and benefit the poor, he makes fun of it.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.(ANI)

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"PM Modi can provide concessions and give other benefits to big industrialists, but he has a lot of a problem whenever we promise to provide anything for the benefit of the poor," he told news agency ANI.

Kharge's comments came a day after Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot announced to waive electricity bill on consumption of power till first 100 units in the state ahead of the assembly elections.

Read here: No electricity bill for consumption of first 100 units of power in Rajasthan: Gehlot

In a twitter post late Wednesday, Gehlot said, “The families consuming more than 100 units of power will receive a waiver for first 100 units. For the middle class, the customers will get free electricity for first 100 units. Their fixed charges, fuel surcharge and other charges for first 200 units will be waived off and the cost will be paid by the state government.”

Congress president also accused the BJP-led central government of carrying out a "fire sale" of national assets and PSUs to its crony capitalist "friends" and claimed this was the "single biggest anti-national" act. This "destructive loot" is snatching away job opportunities for India's poor, SCs, STs, OBCs, he alleged.

Earlier on Wednesday, PM Modi addressed a mega poll rally in Ajmer where he took a jibe at Congress' tussle between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot. He said, "You gave a mandate in Rajasthan five years ago. What did Rajasthan get in return? Instability and anarchy. For the past five years, ministers, MLAs and the CM are busy fighting with each other."

Read here: BJP govt closing corruption paths paved by Congress: Modi

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has planned a month-long campaign to celebrate the ninth anniversary with various mass connect programmes. Congress-ruled Rajasthan goes to polls later this year.