BJP Only Works For ‘Big Businesses’: Priyanka

Attacking the BJP on the issue of unemployment, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the government's first responsibility is to ensure employment but despite the BJP being in power in the state and at the Centre, 63,000 posts are vacant in Himachal Pradesh

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday said the BJP has forgotten it’s “raj dharma” of serving the common people and is only working for big businesses.

She said this while addressing a rally in Jagatpur area of Raebareli, asking people to watch out for those who use “religion and caste” to get votes.

“BJP leaders have forgotten their religion of serving people. Religion for them has become a means to instigate people to get votes. The government is not following the ‘raj dharma’ of serving people,” Priyanka said.

Talking about inflation, she said prices of gas cylinders and mustard oil have gone up. “You earn Rs 200 daily and a bottle of mustard oil is of Rs 240,” she said.

She spoke of unemployment among youth and the plight of farmers in the state, accusing the government of stoking religious sentiments to divert people’s attention from these issues.

The leader also alleged unnecessary expenditure by the Centre, overlooking the money it owed to the farmers.

“The entire due amount of sugarcane farmers is Rs 14,000 crore but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has bought two aeroplanes worth Rs 16,000 crore for himself. He is visiting the world in them but not paying the dues of the farmers,” she said.

“Congress government waived of loans of farmers but these days the loans of big businessmen are being waived,” the leader said.

Priyanka alleged people are forced to pay electricity bill in every situation even if they don’t get electricity. “The three major schemes of BJP are a free cylinder, free ration, and some money you get in your banks. Can the future of your children be strengthened only by free gas cylinder, free ration and some money? The government must provide jobs and support businesses, something that’s not being done,” she said

The Congress leader accused the government of callousness, saying Modi didn’t bother to meet victims of Lakhimpur violence, and came up with an apology to protesting farmers only when elections were round the corner.

“The Prime Minister visited so many countries in the past few years, including Pakistan, but has not gone to meet the protesting farmers. The Prime Minister came and apologised for the farm laws just before elections. Why did they wait for a year to do so? It resulted in death of 700 farmers,” she said.

Priyanka also attacked Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, saying she never saw him working for people in her three years of work in Uttar Pradesh.

“I have been actively working in UP for the last three years but never saw Akhilesh Yadav leave his house. Just before elections, he has come out in his bus to seek votes. In the last three years, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati were nowhere to be seen.”