A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign in poll-bound Jharkhand, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday addressed two rallies there slamming the Modi government. He also termed Mr. Modi’s much publicised Swachh Bharat campaign a “marketing gimmick” and asked people “where is acche din ?”
While addressing a gathering at Manika in Palamu district, Mr. Gandhi took a dig at Mr. Modi’s cleanliness drive saying the BJP had promised “development but has put a broom in the hands of the people.”
“You gave full support to the BJP in the last Lok Sabha polls by giving 12 out of 14 seats and the Prime Minister had promised
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He also raised the question whether the people of Jharkhand had benefited from the State’s immense natural resources and mineral wealth or if the fruits were going to someone else.
“The BJP had ruled the State for nine years out of 14 years of its existence but corruption continues and nothing has changed in the life of the people from Jharkhand. The Congress wants you to gain from the natural resources of the State but the Opposition wants industrialists to benefit,” Mr. Gandhi said.
The first phase of the five-round polling for 81 seats in Jharkhand will be held on November 25 and counting will take place on December 23.
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The Congress vice-president also attacked the Centre for being ‘pro-industrialist.’ “The UPA government worked for the poor but what has this Prime Minister done? He flies in planes with industrialists to Australia,” he said.
“The water is yours, the land is yours, the jungles are yours but those who benefit from all this are industrialists. We don’t want such a government.”
Referring to the Modi government’s failure to bring back black money stashed in foreign banks within 100 days as promised, Mr. Gandhi said “administration is an art that requires patience.”
While addressing another rally at Panki, the Congress leader said: “People opposing us want to divide people… they don’t know that it is hurting the nation.”