Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday claimed the funds for his party’s proposed income support scheme will come from the “pockets of chor businessmen”. Gandhi was speaking at a rally in Assam where he promised special status for the state if the party is voted to power in the Lok Sabha elections.
Gandhi’s reference to “chor businessmen” is related to the verbal spat between the Congress and the BJP after he called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a thief pretending to be a security guard. The proposed minimum income guarantee scheme or NYAY promises to grant the poorest 20% families of the country Rs 72,000 per annum.
The Congress president claimed the scheme will be funded by the money made by businessmen “shielded by the BJP-led government”.
“It’s time to turn the narrative of this country towards the truth,” Gandhi told the gathering in Golaghat. “Earlier the slogan was ‘achche din’ but now it is, ‘chowkidar chor hai’.”
The Congress has repeatedly accused the Modi-led government of illegally favouring businessmen Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi who are embroiled in corporate fraud cases. They have also accused him of illegally favouring Anil Ambani in the Rafale defence deal.
On March 17, top BJP leaders, including the prime minister, prefixed the term “chowkidar” to their names on Twitter. The party also started a #MainBhiChowkidar campaign on social media, urging people to join it. The BJP had started the campaign to counter Congress’ “Chowkidar Chor Hai” jibe.
The Congress chief also criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. “The RSS, BJP break the country but the Congress unites the nation,” he said, according to Hindustan Times. “RSS and Nagpur are attacking Assam, its history, thinking and culture,” he said, while reiterating that his party will not allow the bill to be passed in Parliament.
Gandhi said the Congress was committed to pay minimum wages in tea estates. “We do what we say, we don’t lie...they always lie...This is a fight of ideologies.”
Gandhi claimed that Modi, BJP and the RSS want to divide the nation. “Wherever they go, they spread hatred,” Gandhi said. “On the other side is the Congress, we unite the country and spread brotherhood and love. We strengthen the country. The fight is between these two.”
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