A big industrialist earns Rs 1,000 crore daily, while a farmer cannot even make Rs 27 a day, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Monday, accusing the government of working for its “friends”. She launched a no-holds barred attack not only on the BJP, but also on the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) as she drummed up support for Congress candidates in the state capital on the last day of campaigning for the fourth phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.
The Congress general secretary held road shows in the morning and addressed public meetings in Madhavganj and Sarojini Nagar areas in the later part of the day. Citing the example of Chhattisgarh, where the Congress is in power, Priyanka Gandhi said her party had pledged to write of loans of farmers if voted to power and it was done within three hours of forming government in the state.
“But here they have been sitting in power for five years but who are they working for? For their big industrialist friends,” she said. Priyanka Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels the whole world, goes to the US and other places, saying the pride of India has increased. The country’s pride will increase if youths have jobs and farmers are empowered, she said.
“The farmers protested for one year, you were bringing black laws. BJP was bringing such laws which would have transferred the benefit of your hard work to big corporates. Their friends who today earn Rs 1,000 crore in a day. In one day, a big industrialist is earning Rs 1,000 crore daily while the country’s farmer cannot earn even Rs 27,” she alleged. “But they say they have no idea about it, they only know about Pakistan, terrorism, work to divide you all on communal lines, rake up your sentiments during elections, since they have not worked,: the Congress leader added. Priyanka Gandhi said the BJP keeps raking up Pakistan, terrorism, religion and caste but such talks do not fill the stomachs.
“It’s only the politicians whose stomach are filled with such talks. Your (people’s) stomach would be fed only with employment, waiving farm loans,” she said addressing a gathering in Madhavganj. She also hit out at the SP and the BSP, and wondered what the leaders of these parties did as Opposition in the state.
“Where were they when women were raped, atrocities committed on them, these opposition leaders remained hidden inside their homes. They were also not to be seen during CAA-NRC protests. They did not come to stand with you in such times,” the Congress leader said. “When the son of a minister mowed down farmers under the wheels of his car, where were these leaders then? BJP leaders are ‘bade miyan’ since their son mowed down farmers, but these leaders are also ‘chhote miyan’, who did not utter a single word,” she said referring the last year Lakhimpur Kheri incident. Priyanka Gandhi said it is only the Congress which has been protesting for the last three years with a demand that inflation be checked, standing with victims of rape and atrocities on women, and Dalits. She claimed no political party except for hers is talking about development issues in the state. The Congress leader also advocated for girl and women empowerment, and their safety. She alleged that the BJP government does not want to empower women, farmers and youth which is why they want to keep people engaged in free ration.
Earlier in the day, the Congress leader sat atop an SUV along with party candidate Lalan Kumar from Bakshi ka Talab constituency as she went on a door-to-door campaign in the Chinhat area. She was joined by enthused party workers during the campaign and the people also accorded her welcome whichever area the convoy went through. Priyanka ji also distributed ‘ladki hoon lad sakti hoon’ wrist bands to girls and women during the road show, a Congress office-bearer said.
Lucknow has a total of nine assembly constituencies. Except for Mohanlalganj, which is held by the Samajwadi Party, all other seats were won by BJP candidates in the 2017 assembly elections. Lucknow goes to polls on February 23 during the fourth phase of the elections, whose results will be declared on March 10.
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