RAIPUR: Congress president Rahul Gandhi amid assurance that no outsiders parachuted in ahead of polls would be allowed, had exhorted the party cadres to gear-up to win the upcoming Assembly elections and work zealously for the cause and dreams of poor, farmers, youths, women.
He told the Congressmen that those delivering excellent results at the grassroots levels will stand eligible for the party tickets and key positions after the Congress forms the government.
"No outsiders who are parachuted in would be allowed in the days before the elections", he affirmed. Launching a scathing attack on PM Narendra Modi, the Congress chief accused the BJP-led NDA government of having involved in the biggest defence scam in the history of India on Rafale fighter jets deal with the France.
"The Modi government has entered into an overpriced deal with France and purchased Rafale plane at Rs 1670 crore, while the unit price of each aircraft was Rs 540 crore earlier negotiated under UPA regime", he pointed out. Rahul Gandhi was in Chhattisgarh capital to inaugurate the party's new state officer 'Rajiv Bhawan' in Shankar Nagar. The foundation stone of the new building was laid by him on 16 June 2016. Rajiv Bhawan is set to function as war room for the opposition Congress ahead of the Assembly polls due later this year.
He reiterated that the Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif who was ousted and sent to jail in the Panama Papers scandal but in Chhattisgarh the action is yet to be seen against the chief minister Raman Singh's son. "This is what the BJP-led NDA's chowkidari", he said.
Gandhi said that the media persons even under pressure at times show their courage during the regime of the Modi government. "But the journalists who dare to expose the truth are removed from their job. I understand their (journalist) fear", he said. Rahul Gandhi targeted the Central government on demonetisation and said that the money saved by small traders and businessmen were taken away as GST which he referred as 'Gabbar Singh Tax'. "Modiji gave the collected money to 15 top industrialists", he alleged.
Defence deal or loan wave-off of top corporates were paid from the money taken from common people, small shoppers, traders. He also blamed the Modi government for its failure for not keeping its promise of 2 crore employment for the youths every year. "Now the women and girls are not feeling safe in the BJP-ruled states", he alleged and questioned the silence of PM Modi on the incidents of rape reported in Bihar, UP, MP. During his almost four hours stay in Raipur, the Congress president interacted with the party leaders, cadres, traders, doctors and editors.