MUMBAI/PUNE: India is heading for a disaster due to government under Narendra Modi that enmassed over Rs 11 lakh crore in four years by increasing petrol prices and lost them on likes of Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, said AICC general secretary Mallikarjun Kharge.
Khage was speaking at a public meeting at Pune which marked the concluding ceremony of first stage of the "JanSangharsh Yatra" undertaken by state Congress on Saturday.
"We had controlled Petrol-Diesel prices by giving subsidies. But, BJP didn't care for the common man of the country. The same attitude of not caring for the common man was even seen during the demonetization," Kharge said while enumerating Modi government's failures on the economic front.
The BJP has only become an election machine and hasn't fulfilled even a single promise, Kharge said. Modi just brought in various schemes in different names but, didn't care to implement them in true sense, he added.
Congress leader in Rajya Sabha Gulam Nabi Azad, who started his political career from Maharashtra too addressed the meeting along with the state leaders.
The BJP government has increased the taxes on petrol by 211 per cent, while those on diesel have been increased by whopping 443 per cent since 2014 adding to the difficulties of the common men. Hence, to condemn the government and pledge for a change, everybody should participate in the shutdown on Monday as appealed by Congress President Rahul Gandhi, said MPCC president and former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan.
The JanSangharsh Yatra that travelled over 1200 km to cover five districts in a week received a huge response, he said and added that the next phase of the Sangharsh Yatra would make it the MahaSangharsh Yatra. "While the Congress renamed the state secretariat as Mantralaya for ministers (Mantry) sit there to serve people. But, during BJP rule that building has been turned into 'Atmahatyalaya' (Suicide House)," Chavan said while referring to recent suicides committed by some farmers and others at the state secretariat. "Instead of any real measures, the government is content with tieing nets in the building premises to prevent suicides," he said.
The leader of opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil criticized the state government for shielding the extrimist Hindu activists like Sambhaji Bhide and Sanatan Sanstha head Dr Jayant Athawale and demanded that action needs to be taken against them instead of harassment of Dalit activists in Bhima Koregaon case.-"Top police officers have started speaking the language of the RSS. This needs to be stopped,-" he said while referring to the recent press conference in Elgaar Parishad case.
Vikhe Patil also appealed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to clarify his stand on Sanatan and other fringe organizations. "If it happens, that would expose the so-called Hindu force," he said.
Former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan enumerated the shortcomings of the union as well as the state government on the economy front and said that people are all prepared for a change.