CHANDIGARH: Indian National Congress Party chief Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of not understanding the pain of farmers and the poor, and saying the government is a “billionaire” He claimed that he was formulating policies solely for the benefit of his friends.
She also slammed the BJP-led central government over the issue of ‘Agniveer’ and women wrestlers.
After holding a roadshow in Sirsa, Prime Minister Gandhi addressed a Lok Sabha poll rally in Haryana’s Panipat district and said that if the Indian Inclusive Alliance for Development (INDIA) forms the government at the Centre, farmers will announced that they will get legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) and their debts against agricultural products will be waived.
“What has become clear over the last decade is that Mr. Modiji does not understand the pain of farmers, the poor, the middle class, women and the youth,” she said.
Panipat falls under Karnal Assembly constituency, where Haryana Youth Congress Party leader Divyanshu Budhiraja is contesting against former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Former prime minister and Indian National Congress Party leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda also attended Gandhi’s Panipat rally.
The same day, Gandhi led a roadshow in Sirsa to rally support for Congress candidate Kumari Selja ahead of the May 25 Lok Sabha elections in Haryana.
In Panipat, she said the Modi government did not care about the farming community.
“Kisano ko peesne do, gareebi ke daldal mein rehne do (Let the farmers suffer in poverty). This is the situation he (PM Modi) has created,” she said.
Mr Gandhi claimed that the government had waived debts worth Rs 16 trillion of Mr Modi’s ‘kalabhpatti’ (billionaire) friends.
“Today, policies are made for large-scale Kalabati. If he understands the pain, it will be the pain of Kalabati friends who already have lakhs of rupees. However, Modiji still waived the debt of Rs 1.60 crore,” she said.
The Congress Party leader slammed the Central government over the Agnipat scheme for short-term recruitment of soldiers and blamed PM Modi for rendering those recruited under the scheme unemployed after four years.
She also said the system does not confer martyr status.
The dreams of those aspiring to join the Defense Forces have been shattered, she said.
“Unemployment has reached its peak and PM Modiji has introduced schemes like Agnipat. Currently, 7 crore youth are unemployed in the country,” Gandhi asserted.
“A plan to eliminate unemployment has not yet been launched. We have shut down all the resources that used to bring jobs,” she said, adding that ports, airports, coal and the power sector have been turned over to the prime minister’s “billionaire” friends. He claimed to have been handed over.
The Congress general secretary also reflected on the central government’s action against women wrestlers who took on former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
She pointed out how protesting farmers were treated at Delhi’s borders and how over 600 farmers lost their lives.
Gandhi also reminded the gathering how farmers have been described as “terrorists and anti-national” and how in Uttar Pradesh, a pastor’s son “ran over protesting farmers with his car, killing four”.
The minister has been nominated again by the BJP, she said.
Gandhi maintained that the Bharatiya Janata Party wanted to amend the Constitution.
The Center claimed that it had “destroyed” small businesses by announcing demonetisation and introducing a “flawed” Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Gandhi alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders had become too “arrogant” and were planning to amend the Constitution, and asserted that no power on earth could change the Constitution.
She said it is the same Constitution that gives reservations and voting rights to all Indians.
Referring to some of the assurances given by the Congress in its manifesto, she said that if the Indian opposition coalition forms a government at the Centre, every poor family in the country will receive Rs 8,500 per month in the bank account of a woman. Stated. member.
Gandhi said the BJP had a track record of keeping its promises, citing the example of Karnataka state where women were already receiving 2,000 rupees per month.
In Sirsa, she slammed the BJP government for “unemployment, corruption and inflation”.
“There is a huge wave of support for the Congress in Haryana. The state has the highest unemployment in the country and the youth here are paying the price,” the Congress leader said.
“The people are fed up with the BJP’s rampant inflation, corruption and insecurity and are looking to bring about major change,” she wrote in Hindi on X.
She claimed that the Congress will win all the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana by a huge margin.
During the roadshow, which lasted about an hour, Mr. Gandhi sat on either side of Mr. Selja and former Haryana minister Kiran Chaudhary and waved to people from an open-top vehicle.
This was her first event in Haryana this election season.
Selja, a prominent Dalit face in the Haryana Congress, is facing off against Ashok Tanwar of the BJP.
Like Selja, Tanwar was also a leader of the Haryana Congress party during his time with the old party.
Published May 23, 2024, 17:34 IST
