Congress general secretary and east UP in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday rubbished the Ministry of Home Affairs notice to her brother and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on his citizenship status, claiming that the ruling party’s “phobia of losing” the Lok Sabha elections had prompted the move.
“I have never heard such rubbish. Every one knows that Rahul Gandhi was born and raised here. The entire Hindustan knows that Rahul is a Hindustani... He was born before them... he was brought up before them... he grew up before them... what rubbish is this?” Priyanka shot back on being asked about the MHA notice while she was campaigning for her brother in Amethi on Tuesday.
Asked about the motive behind the notice, Priyanka said, “I have not heard anything like this. It seems that it is phobia of losing the polls has gripped the BJP.”
Acting on a plea of Bharatiya Janata Party Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swami, the MHA asked Rahul Gandhi to clarify within a fortnight the factual position on his citizenship status.
Citing the letter, the Union Home Ministry said it had been brought out that a company named Backops Limited was registered in the United Kingdom in 2003 with Gandhi as one of its directors.
Swamy’s letter also mentioned that in the British company’s annual returns filed on October 10, 2005, and October 31, 2006, Gandhi’s date of birth has been given as June 19, 1970, and he had declared his nationality as British, the ministry said.
An objection on Rahul’s citizenship was also raised by an Independent candidate in Amethi, but the returning officer declared the Congress president’s nomination papers as valid on scrutiny.
Meanwhile, Priyanka, during a street corner meeting in Amethi, termed Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Yojna, providing Rs 6,000 per year to each poor farmer, as ‘Kisan Apman Yojana’.
“How can a farmer’s family of five sustain with this meagre money, which comes to just around Rs 3 per member per month,” she told a gathering which raised slogans in her support and even shouted “‘Chowkidar chor hai”.
The Congress leader also said that farmers paying premium for agricultural insurance scheme were just helping big friendly industrialists of the Modi government.
“I never found a farmer receiving insurance money from these companies. Instead, these industrialists have pocketed over Rs 10,000 crore of the farmers by collecting premiums,” she said.
Priyanka said that Modi only engaged in pompous campaigns and was least concerned about the people.
‘’But we are always trying to connect with the people through small meetings to understand their problems,” she said.
Priyanka also said that the BJP candidate from Amethi was insulting people of the constituency by distributing shoes and chappals. “Do the people of Amethi walk bare foot? This is very insulting,” she said.
The Congress leader slammed the Modi government for transferring all big projects from Amethi to embarrass Rahul Gandhi.
“My late father Rajiv Gandhi knew the feelings of the people of Amethi and my brother is following in his steps. Rahul had contributed all his PMLAD fund in Amethi. Besides, another Rs 42 crore have been spent for development of the area,” she said.
Appealing to the people of Amethi to support Rahul Gandhi on polling day on May 6, Priyanka assured them that her brother was always concerned for people of Amethi and tried his best to serve the constituency.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, Priyanka also explained to media persons why she did not contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi, after showing interest several times.
“I took the advice of senior party leaders and colleagues in UP. They felt that I had the responsibility of looking after 41 seats in east UP and it was felt that they (candidates) would be disappointed, if I focused on only one constituency,” she said