Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday said politicians would get away with communal and casteist politics unless the voter held them accountable for the development work in his city and village.
Addressing a rally in Moradabad, she said when she came to Uttar Pradesh, she was surprised by the number of mafias that existed in the State. “From river, land, and sand to exam and jobs, there is a mafia in every domain in Uttar Pradesh. I am surprised there is no mafia on the breath that you take. Somebody could take a cut on breathing as well,” she said sarcastically.
Raising the slogan of ‘Janta Zindabad’, Ms. Vadra said things would not change in the State as long as the politician knew in his heart that he could get away by selling his communal and casteist agenda. “It is your job to make your leader responsible. You have to tell them that empty promises won’t work and that’s why the Congress will fight the coming Assembly polls on the agenda of development,” she said.
Playing on a Hindi proverb, Ms. Vadra said the BJP Government believed in building andher nagri (chaotic cities) and such cities have a chaupat raja (confused king). “The future of youth is ruined, businessmen are making losses and the budget of the housewife is in tatters,” she said.
Vacant jobs
Taking on the Adityanath Government for the recent leak of UPTET paper, the Congress leader said this was not the first case and there had been at least dozen similar cases in the past. “At least 10 lakh jobs are lying vacant but the youth is roaming without employment.”
Ms. Vadra also took on the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party for missing from the ground when the Congress was fighting for the cause of the Dalits and the poor. “They should be asked why they become active only at the time of elections,” she said.
Addressing women, Ms. Vadra said if they, the 50% of the population, stood united the politics of communalism and casteism would wither away. “It is women who are facing the brunt of inflation. We want to empower you. We are reserving 40% tickets for women because we want them to have a share in governance. Some of you might lose for the first time but it will empower you in the long run.”
Farmers’ movement
The farmers’ movement, the Congress leader said, had proved that if people make up their minds, the Government had to bow. Still the Prime Minister didn’t shed a single tear on the death of 700 farmers during the agitation.
Taking on the Modi Government, she said ₹20,000 crore could be spent on the renovation of Parliament but the dues of sugarcane farmers could not be paid.
Ms. Vadra promised 20 lakh jobs and business hubs in every district if voted to power. “These are not empty promises. The Congress-led Chhattisgarh Government is buying paddy at the rate of ₹2,500 per quintal. We have shown how to keep promises.”
Addressing a public meeting in her in-laws’ town after a long time, Ms. Vadra said the brass city suffered because of “ill-conceived policies of the BJP Government”. “Because of the demonetisation and the GST, the export has come down by ₹2,000 crore in the last 5-6 years and three lakh workers have lost their jobs,” she said, adding that the rising rates of electricity and diesel had added to the problem. “In the meantime, China built its infrastructure, while our businesses were left to languish,” she added.
