Slug: Haryana Assembly Election

Strap: Says, Jawans, kisans and 'pahlwans' raise voice against injustice
 

Striking an emotional chord with people of Haryana, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi claimed that jawans, kisans and 'pahlwans' had launched a struggle against the injustice done to them by PM Narendra Modi, and urged them to uproot the BJP government from Haryana.

Addressing a rally in the Julana Assembly segment, where the Congress has fielded wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat, Priyanka alleged that farmers and small traders are under strain in the state due to anti-development policies of the BJP government. It imposed the Agniveer scheme on youths, which mandates only four years of employment and also they are not entitled to any pension.” She claimed that the people of Haryana are being betrayed at many levels.

She hit out at the BJP government in Haryana as well as the Centre over the Agniveer scheme and contentious agricultural laws.

Priyanka alleged that Vinesh's trust was broken in the Olympics. “When she was winning, everybody was happy that she was set to bring a medal for the country. But then what happened? Uska bharosa toda gaya,” she said.

“Why was her trust broken in a foreign land? Because she had raised her voice and launched a fight against injustice to her and her fellow wrestlers,” she said, referring to the wrestlers' agitation in Delhi against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who faced allegations of molestation and harassment.

“But this is the temperament, culture and tradition of Haryana to raise voice against any injustice,” she said. Referring to a sloka from the Gita, she said Haryana was the land where Lord Krishna said whenever there was injustice, He (God) would appear to wage a struggle.

She said Vinesh’s fight was not one woman's struggle, "it was for all of you". She alleged that a similar breach of faith was at all levels — be it jawans, kisans and wrestlers. “Modi knew that by enacting farmer laws, he was set to favour big corporates, but he kept quiet. Farmers sacrificed 750 lives and ensured the withdrawal of the three farm laws,” she said.

“Youth, wrestlers, farmers, women, nobody is spared. BJP people stayed away, but you stood by her. The same thing happened during the farmers' agitation,” she said, adding that it was actually people who held real power.

She also sought to strike an emotional chord with the people of the state by sharing her personal story, dating back to 8-10 years ago.

The AICC General Secretary stated that the BJP government talks about giving MSP for 24 agricultural farm produce but the reality is that 10 out of these crops are not even produced here.

“It’s time that you should start calling out the political class and demand answers for your plight. BJP has been ruling the state for the past ten years but all these years, it kept ignoring and disregarding your rights,” she told the crowd.

Priyanka further lauded the rich and friendly culture of Haryana and said that it’s not just a land of farmers but several wrestlers and soldiers from the soil, who have been serving the country for generations.