Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party, asking what it has done for Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi since it came to power in the state in 2014, reported NDTV.
“There has been one-sided development only in BJP’s favour,” she said at a rally in Amethi along with her brother and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi represented Amethi for 15 years till he lost the Congress bastion to BJP leader Smriti Irani in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
On Saturday, Vadra accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of not doing enough to rein in the coronavirus pandemic.
She alleged that the BJP was responsible for the inadequate supply of oxygen during the second wave of the pandemic because of which many patients died. Vadra also said that people were struggling due to the rising inflation.
Speaking on the farmers’ agitation, she demanded the resignation of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, whose son has been arrested for allegedly mowing down eight people in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri in October.
Vadra also made promises to farmers and residents that would be fulfilled if the Congress is voted to power in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
“Congress will waive off loans for all farmers and small businessmen, half the electricity bills, give employment to 20 lakh youths and Rs 25,000 to all the families who suffered due to Covid-19,” she said.
The Congress leader added: “In case of disease, the government will provide healthcare of Rs 10 lakh. To politically empower women, 40% of tickets will be given to them [for polls]. Girl students will get smartphones and scooty to empower them and for their security.”
Gandhi raises Hindu versus Hindutvavadi jibe to target PM
Meanwhile, Gandhi again reiterated the distinction between a Hindu and Hindutvavadi to target the prime minister, reported PTI.
He said that on one side there are Hindus who stand for “truth, love and non-violence” and on the other are Hindutvavadis who stand for “falsehood, hatred and violence”
“Hindutvavadi bathes alone in Ganga, but a Hindu will bathe with crores of others,” Gandhi said at a public gathering.
He was referring Modi taking a dip in the Ganga river during the inauguration of the first phase of Kashi Vishwanath corridor on Monday.
“Narendra Modi Ji says I am a Hindu, but when did he protect the truth?” the Congress leader asked. “[Is he] Hindu or Hindutvawadi?”
Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, he said a Hindu fights against injustice while a Hindutvawadi is like Nathuram Godse. Mahatma Gandhi was killed by Godse.
Criticising the Adityanath government for not developing the district, Rahul Gandhi said that the lane in Amethi was still the same and people were angry at the dispensation.
Gandhi alleged that middle-class people and the poor in the country were badly affected by the decisions of the central government, leading to large scale unemployment, reported ANI.
“Demonetisation, wrongly implicated GST [Goods and Services Tax], no help during the Covid-19 crisis are the major reasons for unemployment in India,” he declared.
Gandhi also alleged that the Chinese Army has entered India and the Centre has failed to address the matter, reported The Indian Express.
“They have taken land as big as Delhi and made it their own,” he alleged. “Our PM didn’t say anything about it and didn’t do anything too.”
He assured the people that the Congress’ bond with the constituency would never break.
“I came into politics in 2004 and Amethi was the city where I contested my first election,” he added. “People of Amethi have taught me a lot about politics. You have shown me the way to politics and I want to thank each and everyone.”
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