Jaipur, (Samajweekly) Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promises are as hollow and empty as his donation envelopes which he deposited some months ago at a Rajasthan temple, the envelope only had Rs 21 in it.
Priyanka Gandhi said that all the promises made by the Prime Minister and his party are hollow. “Kyun Ki, Modi Ji Ka Lifafa Khaali Hai” (Modi Ji’s envelope is empty), she said.
Addressing people in Jhunjhunu, many of whom have a Defence background, Priyanka spoke about her late grandmother Indira Gandhi and her late father Rajiv Gandhi, and referred to their martyrdom. She said, “My grandmother used to say whenever you are confused, you should go to the public, which will guide you.”
“I am also a martyr’s daughter. I am the granddaughter of a martyr. I know the value of sacrifice given for the country,” Priyanka said.
Referring to a number of public welfare schemes in Rajasthan, which have reached the grassroots and touched millions of lives, she cautioned people against the lies and fake promises of the BJP.
Referring to a recent appeal by urging people to vote for him, she pointed out that Modi is not going to be the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, as he is the Prime Minister of the country.
She said that the BJP in Rajasthan is a divided house and the party is busy planning to marginalise senior leaders by sending them to the BJP ‘Marg Darshak Mandal’, an organisation within the BJP for superannuated and sidelined leaders.
Lauding the Congress government in Rajasthan led by Ashok Gehlot, she said, the public welfare schemes implemented here were exclusive for the state, as no such welfare schemes existed anywhere else in the country.
She urged people that if they want to continue to get the benefits from the government schemes, they must vote for the Congress in the upcoming elections.
She warned that the BJP will again raise the divisive issues of religion and caste at the time of election to divert public attention.
She said that people should ask them (BJP) what they have actually done for people. She said the BJP has only given unemployment and inflation to the country while all sources of employment had been finished.
She said the PSUs, which were one of the major sources of employment which also provided reservation, were handed over to a select few friends of the Prime Minister.
She said that agriculture which was another main source of employment is no more remunerative.
She said that the GST and demonetisation had destroyed the small trade which otherwise also was one of the main sources of employment.
The Congress General Secretary said that when the employees demanded the old pension scheme or farmers sought debt waiver, the government claimed it did not have money.
“The government had enough money to waive off huge loans of its industrialist friends, or for buying planes for PM’s travel for Rs 16,000 crores and construct a new parliament house for Rs 20,000 crores when the existing one was already in a good condition but they had no money for the people,” she said.
Earlier several senior leaders from other parties including former Chairperson of National Commission for Women, Mamta Sharma; Shobha Rani Kushwah, MLA and former BJP candidate from Kishangarh Vikas Chaudhary joined the Congress in presence of Priyanka Gandhi.
Making a fervent appeal to people to be alert while they go to vote, she asked people to choose a government that will serve them and not divide and distract them.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, senior leader Sachin Pilot, AICC general secretary in-charge for Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, PCC president Govind Singh Dotasra, and others were also present on the occasion.
