Ayodhya: Congress leader and election in-charge of East Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi, on Friday visited Ayodhya and tore into the promises made by the BJP government ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha elections, claiming that farmers were ‘drowning in debt.’
In the last leg of her UP campaign, Gandhi took up the cause of farmers and said the BJP government was ‘anti-farmer’ and ‘anti-people’. “This government works for the rich, not for the poor,” she said.
Taking Prime Minister Narendra Modi head on, Gandhi said he had failed to fulfill his pre-poll promise of depositing Rs 15 lakh in the bank accounts of people from 2014, and accused Modi of neglecting the Varanasi constituency. "I was stunned to hear from the people of Varanasi that in five years, the prime minister didn't get time to go to a single village, visit even one family in his constituency," she said.
Modi had contested the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from two seats — Varanasi and Vadodra. The BJP has announced that h would contest the upcoming parliamentary polls from Varanasi again.
Modi, who was in Jammu and Kashmir’s Akhnoor on Thursday, had claimed that the Congress party’s speeches are being applauded in Pakistan. “While the entire country is talking in one voice and the Congress is speaking in a different voice. After India attacked terrorists in Balakot, Congress leaders made statements which are not in favour of the nation. Do you accept this language of the Congress, or PDP or of the NC? How can an Indian citizen accept such language which is applauded in Pakistan?" Modi had said.
Launching a scathing attack on him for the statement, Priyanka reminded him of the 'biryani' served by then Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Lahore in 2015. “Pakistan me biryani khaane ke liye toh wohi gaye the na (Bu it was he who went to have biryani in Pakistan), Priyanka said when asked about Modi’s remarks.
The Congress leader further targeted the PM over his overseas visits — an often used line of attack by the opposition parties on Modi. “PM Modi had time to visit countries abroad, but had no time to visit a single village in his own constituency in past five years.”
Gandhi called the BJP a ‘rich-friendly’ government, claiming it had systematically worked to take power away from the poor and the marginalised. “The Congress government gave you Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). We did it because we believed every family should get guaranteed employment. People liked the scheme. But when the BJP came in power, they worked to shut down the scheme,” Gandhi said, adding that workers had not been paid for over six months under the MGNREGA scheme.
The younger Gandhi scion also accused the BJP government of working against democracy and the constitution, and urged people to reject the saffron party in Lok Sabha elections. “The BJP does not go to every village because it does not want to listen to the truth. You should elect a government which comes to your home, listens to your problems and solves them," Gandhi said.
Gandhi said the BJP had only worked towards taking away empowerment from the common man and deceived people at every point. “This government wants the power for itself.”
She ended her address by reminding the importance of the elections and urged people to “think before they vote.”
“Your vote is your power. Don’t forget that the government is in your hands. You have made these leaders and the time has come to take a decision and recognise your power. This is your country, made by your sweat and blood. It’s a country of farmers and soldiers,” Gandhi said.
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