Senior Congress leader, Beni Prasad Verma, flayed Narendra Modi’s much publicised `Swach Bharat’ (clean India) campaign, and also taken strong exception of nomination of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in the campaign by prime minister.
“Akhilesh is my nephew and won’t tolerate his insult. How could a PM appoint a CM as the mukhya safai karmi (chief sanitation employee),” asserted Beni while attacking Modi’s Clean India campaign. Talking to reporters here on Thursday morning, former union minister, alleged that ‘Jharu’ (broom) has come to focus in this BJP government while no work is being done. ``All the important work and welfare projects has taken back seat and an all out publicity has been given to clean India campaign just to divert the people mind from achche din (good days) dream shown by Modi during his election campaign”, charged Beni, adding that prime minister is trying to fool the country through the programmes already launched by United Progressive Alliance government.
“This cleaning drive was too launched by the UPA government through Nirmal Bharat but it is unfortunate that that scheme has been kept aside by Modi,”claimed Beni. The Congress leader supported the party’s decision not to invite Narendra Modi in the function of Jawahar lal Nehru.”Why should a person who has called for Congress free India should be invited,” he stated while accusing Modi of being communal minded who always see welfare of industrialists. Terming Nehru as a true socialist, democrat and secular leader, Verma said the nation’s leader too should possess these qualities to resolve problems of the country. Hitting out at Modi, he said, “It is unfortunate that the head of the government at present is neither socialist, democratic nor secular. I belong to the rural background and know that farmers are not getting the return for their produce... TV has stories on Swachh Bharat Abhiyan but nothing on hike in rates of fertilisers or plight of the poor,” Verma told reporters here on the eve of Nehru’s 125th birth anniversary.
The former Union Minister claimed that only the ideology of Jawahar lal Nehru and Indira Gandhi is fit for the country with encouraging public sector and through the five year plan. “ The BJP government has abolished the five year plan but has failed to give any alternative. The BJP government also claims of 2.5 per cent industrial growth but all it happened in the private sector while the public sector is being disinvested in this regime,” he alleged. Verma said that this government was just interested in promoting private sector and the industrialists which is dangerous for the poor people of the country and public would face the consequences one day and will realise their mistake of giving power to Modi.
Verma further asserted that Modi’s call for a “Congress-free India” would not materialise as long as people continue to remember icons like Sardar Patel, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. “Narendra Modi, who had given the slogan of Congress-free India, first remembered Patel, then Gandhi and now Nehru. It is a good thing. Till the memories of these leaders remain among the people, the country cannot be free of Congress,” Verma claimed. Verma also attacked Akhilesh Yadav for not hiking state advisory price (SAP) of cane for the crushing season 2014-15 which was announced by the state government on Wednesday. “It is strange that Mulayam Singh Yadav’s son and my nephew, UP chief minister, who is also from rural background, did not give benefit to cane farmers in the minimum support price announced on Wednesday. The government should have shown more concern for farmers than sugar mill owners,” Verma said.