Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, during a visit to Bhilai city in Chhattisgarh Thursday for a Mahila Samruddhi Sammelan (woman prosperity conference) organised by her party, cautioned people that with elections nearing, there will be attempts to mislead people on lines of religion and caste, but voters must ask what the government has done for them.
Without directly naming the BJP, she said the rules of politics have changed over the years. Recalling an incident with her father, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, she said, ‘My father and I had gone to visit Amethi and he was interacting with citizens. An old woman scolded him because the road in her area got washed away in the rain. I asked my father later whether he felt bad and he replied no; he said he and the old woman were doing their duties. This was the politics back then but now the rules have changed.’
‘Now 40 years have passed. I went to a chawl in Uttar Pradesh where I spoke with a woman using a stove, who said she does not have money to fill the gas cylinder. Nobody is employed in her home, there is no electricity or water connection and she sells bangles to run the family. But when I asked who she will vote for, she said she will vote for the same politician,’ Priyanka said. ‘When I asked why, she started talking about religion and caste. Public were aware back then and are aware now, but the difference is politicians now play with their emotions… When you talk about religion, emotions and caste, you do not ask about water supply, roads, employment. This is a big political conspiracy to deviate you so that you do not ask the right questions.’
She also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not concentrating on basic amenities while spending crores on other projects. ‘He spent Rs 27,000 crores to make Yashobhoomi, another Rs 20,000 crore on new Sansad Bhavan and two planes worth Rs 8,000 crores each for their travel. But he cannot answer why your roads are broken, why you are not getting employment, why the prices are rising so much. He cannot answer why the country’s farmer is earning Rs 27 per day and his rich industrialist friend is earning Rs 1,600 crore in a day. Only in Chhattisgarh is the number of farmers increasing while in other states farmers are frustrated due to getting low prices for their crops. Our country’s pride is growing and we all feel proud but it does not mean you forget the poor and the middle class.’
Priyanka Gandhi at ‘Mahila Samruddhi Sammelan’ in Bhilai on Thursday. (PTI)
Priyanka spoke in detail on a series of welfare schemes implemented by the Congress government in Chhattisgarh since 2018 and how it benefited the women as well as other sections of the society. She also criticised the central government for selling railway property, ports and airports to private companies.
‘Leaders will come to ask for votes, I only ask for your awareness. You too ask questions like the woman (asked Rajiv Gandhi). Ask them what did you do for us? If you ask these questions to the Chhattisgarh government, you will get the answers from the public themselves. I appeal to you to remember the old rules of politics for your own good and support Bhupesh Baghel ji so the good work done in the last five years can be continued,’ she said.
