Addressing three election rallies in the poll-bound Haryana, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for saying that Congress did not do anything for the development of the country saying the country owed its growth to the Congress rule of 60 years.
Gandhi addressed election rallies in Ferozpur Jhirka (Mewat district), Rewari and Gannaur (Sonipat district). “It is the BJP which has failed to fulfil its promises of heralding achhe din for the country. India owes its growth and progress and its name in the international arena to the Congress Government in the country,” Rahul said while countering Modi’s statements.
The Congress leader also attacked the NDA Government at the Centre saying this Government was catering only to rich businessmen and questioned Modi’s handling of China and Pakistan.“No one talked about India before, but today in technology and youth power and all round development, India has made a name for itself. All these developments in the country have been brought about by people like you,” he said.
He said Haryana had progressed only under the Congress rule and was a leading state in the country. Gandhi said the Bhupinder Singh Hooda Government in the State had initiated several welfare steps for all sections of society, especially farmers, youth and poor.“Haryana has not just contributed a great deal to the nation through its soldiers and farmers, but the pahalwans (wrestlers) of the nation too have brought laurels to the country by winning medals in international meets like the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and the Olympics,” he said.
Gandhi accused Modi of not being able to rein in price rise or bring back black money as promised by him adding that the PM was trying to “weaken” UPA’s pet pro-poor scheme MGNREGA and “making medicines expensive to benefit some US companies”.
“He (Modi) used to say if I become the Prime Minister, I will teach a lesson to China and Pakistan but what happened. After he became the PM, Chinese President Xi Jinping came here and it was for the first time when the President of a country visited India, his Army also entered our territory. This happened when the President of that country was enjoying a swing ride with Modi,” Gandhi said at the rallies.
On the shelling by Pakistan, he said, “Our people are being killed. Now after six days they say everything will be fine. But what about those who have been killed, injuredIJ”
Addressing gatherings largely of farmers, he asked them whether prices have come down. “Modi had said he will bring down prices within 100 days. Did it happenIJ”
Accusing the Modi Government of working for “big businessmen,” Gandhi alleged Modi lifted control on drug prices at the behest of some US companies which has led to cancer medicines costing over Rs1 lakh instead of Rs8,000 earlier.
“Modiji went to the US. A number of big industrialists came to him before the visit. Now medicines will be expensive. Because he had to make the US companies happy. But he forgot our poor diabetic and cancer patients here,” he said.
Gandhi said, “The Government wants that India progresses but only the rich benefit. There is no place in their India for the poor and the farmers while we want all of you, the poor, the weak, the farmers to be empowered.”
The Congress leader alleged that when Om Prakash Chautala-led Government was in power in alliance with BJP in the state, “land of farmers was snatched and industrialists were subject to extortion”.
On achievements of Congress-ruled Haryana as compared to that of BJP-SAD-ruled Punjab, he said that while leaders of BJP in Haryana come and ask people to vote for them, there is a need to see what they have done in Punjab. “Haryana has only two per cent youth population but it brings 30 per cent of the medals in sports. Youth of this state is engaged in education. What are they doing in PunjabIJ
“Many of the young people in Punjab take to drugs. Their Government is silent while an entire generation is getting destroyed. There is neither sports nor education there,” he said.
Gandhi also coined a new slogan for Haryana, “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Pahalwan”, in a reference to a number of world class wrestlers the state has produced of late.
“We did not leave anybody. We want to take everybody along. We do not want to pit one against the other. We want an India in which the poor, the rich all stay together and all work in an atmosphere of brotherhood. We have done it in Haryana. We will do it,” Gandhi said.Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Congress General Secretary Shakeel Ahmed and Haryana Congress President Ashok Tanwar also addressed the rallies.