Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Wednesday, made a frontal attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party over rising prices, unemployment in the country and the government’s nexus with the billionaire friends.

Addressing a series of road corner meetings in Harchandpur assembly segment of Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency, from where her brother and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been nominated by the party to contest election, Congress star campaigner Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed the Prime Minister Modi government over “rising unemployment” in the country, saying “ration scheme hai, not jobs”.

Criticising the Modi-led government over inflation and unemployment, she said: “Today, inflation and unemployment are the two biggest problems in the country. Under Modi’s rule, inflation is so high that even with hard work, the earnings are not sufficient to fulfill the needs. Instead of helping you, the government has only provided you with five kilograms of ration. Even in farming, profits are not possible because GST (goods and services tax) has to be paid on everything.”

“Rashan pakda do ki scheme hai naukri pakda do ki nahi,” she said. “There is a scheme to provide free ration to the people but no provision to provide jobs to the citizens seeking employment opportunities,” Priyanka said.

Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, “The BJP candidates are going everywhere and saying that if you vote for them, they would change the Constitution. They have bought the media with the help of their billionaire friends. They have weakened all institutions that were there to strengthen you. When Modiji realised that this will harm them in elections, he said that they won’t change the Constitution. But what is the truth?”

The Congress leader, while talking about the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra of the Congress that was headed by Rahul Gandhi, said: “To defeat Rahul Gandhi, the BJP exerted its full force, but he did not step back. He stood firm to deliver justice to the people. To listen to you and understand your problems, he initiated the Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. The purpose of this journey was to remind people that the direction of politics in the country today is wrong.”

Slamming the Modi-led government over the Agniveer scheme, Priyanka said: “Youth used to work out and train at 3 am or 4 am to get into the army... But Modi introduced the Agniveer scheme which will allow the youth to work in the army for four years and then return to their homes as an unemployed person again... They bring schemes not to solve your problem but to break your hopes... All their schemes are for millionaires and billionaires. They have waived Rs 16 lakh crore of these people through banks.”

Training guns at the BJP for spreading lies under the garb of religious sentiments, Priyanka said: “Politicians nowadays know that they do not have to work for the people and provide jobs, end inflation... They have understood that they just have to get on stage at the time of elections and talk about religion to evoke religious sentiments and make people feel that their religion is in danger.”

Highlighting the “guarantees” promised by Congress, Priyanka said: “There are a few guarantees which we have promised to offer, including Rs 1 lakh annually that will be transferred to the account of the family’s oldest woman. Apart from the reserved posts, half of them will be reserved for women to provide them equal opportunities.”

Priyanka, who has been campaigning in Amethi and Rae Bareli for the last two days and is expected to stay in both constituencies until polling day on May 20, also accused the Modi government of prioritising loan waivers amounting to Rs 16 lakh crore for billionaires, while farmers in Uttar Pradesh were in such dire circumstances that many were being driven to suicide.

Priyanka also replied to the prime minister’s speech mentioning on Wednesday that Rahul Gandhi is now not taking the name of Adani and Ambani. “Today, Narendra Modi said Rahul Gandhi is not taking Adani’s name. The truth is this, Rahul Gandhi talks about Adani every day, he exposes the truth about Adani in front of you every day,” Priyanka said.

The Congress leader emphasised that Rahul informs the public about the alleged “nexus” between the prime minister and prominent industrialists on a daily basis.

“Rahul Gandhi tells you daily that Narendra Modi has a nexus with big industrialists. Narendra Modi waived Rs 16 lakh crore of his friends but did not waive a single rupee of farmers. Narendra Modi should answer this,” she said.

“Narendra Modi has handed over the big companies which provided employment to the people to a few capitalists,” she further charged.