Addressing a rally comprising mostly women in Madhya Pradesh, Priyanka also raked up the huge expenditure on building a new Parliament building and renovation of the area around India Gate and said that while the government can spend Rs 20,000 crore on the project, it does not wish to solve the problems of farmers and the poor.
“When the issue of religion and nationalism comes up, everybody supports it… When I ask people about the GST slapped on them and other problems, they say ‘Didi, yeh dharma ki baat hai, Didi, yeh desh ki baat hai (this is about religion and the nation). Your vote is not about dharma but about your awareness,” she said.
Questioning the expenditure incurred on Central Vista, she asked, “What is the need to spend so much money on beautification around India Gate.” She asserted that solving the woes of farmers and the poor should take priority.
She referred to a bouquet given to her by one of her supporters on the stage and said it had no flowers. “Similarly, Modi is giving you an empty bouquet.” Later in her speech, she said when it comes to holding a caste census, Modi says he stands for rights of OBCs but is not willing to conduct a caste survey, which is another example of an “empty bouquet”.
The Congress general secretary charged the Modi government with making “22,000 promises but hardly fulfilling 22 of them.”Congress has focussed its campaign on high inflation and unemployment in the state. It has also taken on the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government on support to women by promising to give Rs 1,500 per month. The Ladli Behna scheme provides Rs 1,250 per month (it was Rs 1000/per month till two months back).“Onion prices are so high. In 2013, Modi said it is to be seen whether Sachin (Tendulkar) or onion prices will hit a century first. Virat (Kohli) has hit a century and so have onion prices,” Gandhi said.
She appealed to the people to vote on the basis of their experiences of the challenges facing them and not on what is promised to them by the ruling party.
“Politics in the country today is very different. One the one hand, there is talk about growth but only the wealth of a few moneybags is growing. When they talk about development, there is high inflation and high unemployment. In Madhya Pradesh, only 21 government jobs have been given. The price of gas cylinders kept rising to Rs 1,200 and even Rs 1,400. Just before the polls, they have reduced it to Rs 400,” Gandhi said.
The Nehru-Gandhi scion attacked Modi on his oft-repeated allegation that Congress seeks votes in the name of the family. “When Modi was speaking recently, I thought he would talk about development but he said some people are seeking votes in the name of Indira Gandhi. I realised he is talking about me. If you can blame Nehru for everything all the time, then why can’t I take Indira ji’s name a few times?” she said.
Priyanka maintained that as prime minister, Modi should follow a certain decorum and not lower the dignity of the office he holds. She also underlined that he and the BJP should stop blaming the previous governments and take responsibility for the failings.
“You have been in power for 10 years. Take some responsibility for the shortcomings. You have been in power here (Madhya Pradesh) for 18 years and at the Centre for 10 years. Can you muster the courage to stop talking about the past 60 years and talk about the present challenges,” she said.
She reiterated the other promises made by Congress- providing gas cylinders for Rs 500, making 100 units of power free, implementing the Old Pension Scheme, creating two lakh jobs, and increasing the OBC quota to their numerical strength as per the census figures.