Breaking his silence on Jayanthi Natarajan’s allegations of his interference, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday admitted that he had advised the then Minister of State for Environment and Forests to work for the poor and tribals. Terming the AAP as agent of the BJP, the Congress vice president also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Make-In-India campaign.
“Modiji said he will give you employment. He talks of ‘Make-In-India’. Crores of rupees were spent in marketing this Make-In-India. You tell me whether something came out of it. He wears Rs10-lakh suit during US President Barack Obama’s visit. Newspapers report that this is not ‘Make-In-India’.
That too is Make in UK. And then he tells you about Make-In-India and employment. Did any youth get employmentIJ No. Whether mehangai come downIJ No. He told you that Delhi is dirty and clean it. He did not give you job, did not lessen your suffering but put a broom in your hand,” Gandhi said at an election rally at Jehangirpuri on Wednesday.
“Ek din maine Modiji ke baare mein kuch kaha, agle din unhone Natrajan ko khada kiya (One day, I said something about Modi, the very next day, he put up Natarajan. Yes. I told Jayanthi Natarajan to protect the environment and the tribals.
I am not scared of anyone,” Gandhi said. He also accused Modi of working for few industrialists. This was his first reaction to Natarajan’s allegation that he used to interfere in grant of green nods when she was Environment Minister before being forced out in December 2013.
As the election campaign for Delhi reached a crescendo, the Congress vice-president targeted both the Prime Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, accusing them of “selling big dreams” and not fulfilling promises. He also rained promises like right to roof for every Delhiites, ending contract labour within a week and making electricity cheap.
This the second time during the election campaign, Gandhi had taken a jibe at Modi’s clothing. last week, he had said that though Modi failed to deliver on the promise of bringing back black money, he wore a suit worth Rs10 lakh during Obama’s visit.
Gandhi, whose party has been accusing Modi of centralising all powers, said that the entire country is being run through the PMO and he (Modi) thinks that he alone can change India. “This cannot happen. You feel big promises were made and you got nothing. False promises were indeed made. I am telling you, you are not going to get anything from Modi and Kejriwal. Making promises is quite easy. Doing work is difficult,” he said.
Gandhi recalled that during the run-up to the lok Sabha polls, he made the point that one man cannot change the entire country and this is now becoming clear. Attacking the AAP as “agent of BJP,” Gandhi said that AAP did nothing in 49 days it was in power and ran away. Congress had supported AAP last time to form a Government in Delhi.
Accusing Kejriwal of “breaking promises”, he said that while the autorikshaw drivers had supported AAP wholeheartedly in the last elections, the party is not visible on autos now. Suggesting bonhomie between AAP and BJP, Gandhi asked why Kejriwal’s party is not organising dharnas over incidents of rape and corruption now when BJP rules the Centre.