Slamming Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi for stating that poverty is just a state of mind, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said the Congress leadership and Planning Commission should immediately stop making fun of poverty.
Addressing a rally, as part of his ongoing Janashirwad Yatra at Manawar in Dhar district, Chouhan said “Congress leaders, including its president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Planning Commission should stop making fun of poverty.”
Criticising Rahul for stating that poverty is just a state of mind,” Chouhan said if the Congress can’t provide ‘roti, kapda, makan’ (food, clothing and house) to the people, then they have no right to make a mockery of it.
Participating in a discourse in Allahabad on Monday, Rahul had said, “Poverty is just a state of mind. It does not mean scarcity of food, money or material things. If one possesses self-confidence, one can overcome poverty.”
In this context, Gandhi had cited the example of a poor woman in Amethi, who redeemed her self-esteem by getting associated with self-help group, Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana.
However, it was later clarified that Rahul’s statement was misreported. The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister also criticised the Congress leaders and Planning Commission for stating that those earning Rs 27 a day could not be classified as poor in rural areas or one could have full meal for just Rs 15. Chouhan said that Rahul should show the people how he would have breakfast in just `27. Strongly condemning the attack on Indian soldiers at Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir by the Pakistani forces, Chouhan demanded a befitting reply to the neighbouring country. He said that Pakistan and China always provoked India and the country should act against them in a firm manner.
The Chief Minister also blamed the Centre for rising inflation and added that during NDA rule, the cost of a fertiliser bag was `527, but now it had gone up to `1,272 per bag. The cost of diesel and petrol too was rising, causing lot of hardship to the people, he said.
Chouhan said that farmers (in Madhya Pradesh) used to get agriculture loan at 18 per cent interest.Now they were getting it at zero per cent interest under the BJP’s governance.