Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, saying his guarantee is not for the farmers, labourers, Dalits, tribal and backward people of the country. He said the Congress has promised to the country’s farmers that it will bring a law that will guarantee a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
Addressing a function held here during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Kharge said Modi’s guarantee is not for farmers, labourers, Dalits, tribal and backward people, but for two-three rich people of the country who are his ”friends”.
”Loans of Rs 13 lakh crore of Modiji’s friends have been waived while farmers are forced to commit suicide for a loan of Rs 12,000 or Rs 13,000,” he said, adding that the rates of the taxes levied on the rich have been reduced, whereas those levied on the poor have been hiked.
The Congress president also alleged that big companies are being given subsidies worth crores of rupees, while the subsidies given to the poor, farmers, and women have been removed.
He claimed that for the first time, different types of taxes have been clamped on farmers. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) has been imposed on tractors, fertilisers, and machinery, he added.
Kharge said farm loans have been waived in several states ruled by Congress.
During the 10-year rule of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), the MSP on paddy increased by 135 percent, whereas under the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government, it went up by only 50 percent, he said.
”We talk of justice for the farmers and hence, the Congress has promised to all the farmers (that it will bring) the MSP guarantee law,” Kharge said.
”Projects worth thousands of crores of rupees were given here during the Congress government, but the Modi government stopped those as soon as it came to power. This government is taking out its enmity with the people of Amethi and Rae Bareli. There was a project for a mega food park here, which would have benefitted lakhs of farmers, but the prime minister stopped it. Remember Modiji, if this trend continues, people will oust you from power,” he added.
The entire world knows about Amethi, Kharge said, adding that every Indian is proud of Amethi because ”it is the land of service and devotion to our beloved former prime minister late Rajiv Gandhiji, former Congress president Sonia Gandhiji and Rahul Gandhiji”.
”Rahul Gandhiji has a deep connection with Amethi. Even today, he is with you and will always be with you,” he said.
Questioning the BJP over patriotism, the Congress chief said, ”Those associated with the BJP teach us about patriotism. Will they ever be able to match our patriotism? We used all our strength to achieve independence. From (Mahatma) Gandhiji to (former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehruji — everyone went to jail and got us freedom.”
”During the Quit India movement, 10,000 Congress workers sacrificed their lives. How many people from the BJP have sacrificed their lives for the country?” he asked.
Taking a dig at Modi’s claim that the BJP and its allies will get more than 400 seats in the Lok Sabha polls likely to be held in April-May, Kharge said they will be thrown out of power and will not even get 100 seats. ”Aab ki bar, satta se bahar,” he said in reply to the prime minister’s claim of ”aab ki baar, 400 paar”.
Kharge alleged that Modi is turning into a dictator and said if the BJP is not defeated in the Lok Sabha polls, there will be no election again in the country, no more democracy, and no more Constitution. ”If there is no Constitution, there will be no privileges that the people are enjoying right now,” he added.
On Modi’s claim that he (Kharge) had said the BJP would get 400 Lok Sabha seats, the Congress president said in reality, what he had said was while the saffron party is claiming that it will win more than 400 seats, it will not even get past the 100-seat mark.
Kharge alleged that whenever he speaks in Parliament, his microphone is switched off and the ruling party members disrupt his speech. ”What I believe is that the sooner you leave, the better it is for the country,” he added.
The Congress chief challenged the prime minister to name a single significant contribution he or his party has made towards the country.
He pointed out that Nehru had set up huge infrastructure, heavy industries, big dams, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and engineering colleges for the country’s development. ”What have you done?” he asked.
Kharge said the UPA government had brought the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the right to food and the right to education, adding that Modi’s claim of providing free food to 80 crore people was possible only because of the National Food Security Act that the previous government had brought.
Slamming Modi, he said the prime minister’s only job is to abuse the Congress and the Gandhi family.
Taking a jibe at the BJP, Kharge said it should open a school where it can teach people how to abuse the Congress.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI)
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