By : Mohan Verma
Day after FIR against BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for ‘selfie’ AICC vice President Rahul Gandhi lashed out the former for indulging in self-esteem accusing in projecting himself large than life and snatching entire claim of development with giving due credit to the people of Gujarat.
Addressing Congress rally at Bilaspur yesterday, Mr. Gandhi said that BJP election campaign is highly eccentrics as everywhere. Mr. Modi was bashing his self adoration projecting him as he is lone man behind the development of Gujarat.
“It was local women who build ‘Amul’ as a brand in the milk products, local entrepreneurs who strived hard to develop Diamond and textile industry on their shoulders.” Mr. Gandhi said that one men who was chanting mein mein …….could not grab the due credit of people after snatching entire claim of development for them.
Terming the Gujarat model of Development hollow, he said that Mr. Modi provides outlay of Rs. 8000 crore on health and education in the state but one may be astonish to know that one Corporate M/s. Adani had been given 47,000 acre of land of worth Rs. 10,000 crore on the price of Rupee one per square meter and also showered Rs. 26,000 crore free power to this particular corporate.
“Is it not on the cost of deprived farmers after grabbing their land and also denying them benefit of power.” Mr. Gandhi said that this is Gujarat Model of Development but on the other side after ten years of achievements Congress prime minister Manmohan Singh and other Congress leader boast of such claims.
Congress leader alleged that peasantry is in distress under the hegemonic rule of Mr. Modi as it was highly pro-corporate forcing the people to render their livelihood after taking refuge under Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme in state.
“Below poverty line of Gujarat starts from Rs. 11 to Rs. 12 per capita per day how could such model be emulated by other state as it could not bring out the downtrodden from deprivation,” he pointed out.
Making a scathing attack on Saffron party, Congress leader said that it was RSS leader Golwalkar who had opposed the right of vote to women while now Mr. Modi had long relation with Hindutva organizations projecting him champion of women welfare.
”Did Mr Modi not suddenly take a U-turn recently as Congress leader late Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel becomes the most revered to him and wants to build a statue in his honor,” Mr. Gandhi commented that it seemed he had never read Patel who had described RSS as a venomous organisation and even favored a ban on it.
“UPA government had served the people of this country during its 10 years after launching several flagship program which were never boasted so high.” Mr. Gandhi said that centre had provided rights of employment and food to the people of this country and such policy had succeeded to uplift more than 15 crore people above below poverty line.
“If voted, to power again, government had plan to uplift 70 crore people into middle class who are still living in APL and got benefited during its rule.”
He said that after consultation with people, Congress had decided to provide right of free treatment in the hospitals and right of shelter as most of them are still living under open sky and under vulnerable conditions.
The party is in favor of industrialization to ensure jobs to crores of unemployed youth but not to hand over land and other assets to industrialists like Modi’s model of development. Thousands of corporate’s would be given the benefit of industrial corridors but ensuring job guarantee to unemployed.
Mr. Gandhi condemned BJP for misleading electorates after promising implementations of ‘one rank one pensions’ scheme. He argued that scheme already implement by UPA also figured in BJP election manifesto.
He also targeted BJP candidate Anurag Thakur and his father Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief minister of last BJP rule conniving to provide land worth Rs. 250 crore to HPCA at the same price band seeking to defeat such candidate in the election.
Earlier Mr. Gandhi was welcomed by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee President Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and others.
