KANKER: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday said if her party retains power in Chhattisgarh after the upcoming assembly polls, a caste census will be carried out in the state on the lines of a similar exercise conducted in Bihar.
Participating in the Nagariya Nikay Evam Panchayati Raj Mahasammelan (Municipal Bodies and Panchayati Raj mega-conference) at Kanker district, she also promised 10 lakh houses for the poor if her party gets elected again in the polls due by the year-end.
She asked, “Why the BJP-led Centre is not doing caste census? They are not interested in people’s welfare and only want major Public Sector Units to be sold to their industrialist friends who can then fund the BJP to win elections as their aim is to remain in power”.
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress leader said guarantees given by him are just hollow promises. She slammed his assertion on assuring the guarantees, comparing it with the Chinese products that ‘despite claims of long life didn’t last’.
“All the guarantees by the PM are hollow. The entire country is watching. The people need to remain alert and aware”, Priyanka said. Citing the rising inflation across the nation, she criticised the Centre for allegedly inappropriately imposing GST and taxes on every product and process that further brought higher increases in prices leading to more distress for the poor and middle-class segment.
Priyanka lashed out at the Centre for taking credit for what the state (Congress) government achieves for the welfare of the people. “The PM claimed the Centre pays money for paddy procurement in Chhattisgarh, the state with the highest MSP. If that is so, then why in Varanasi (home constituency of the PM) and Uttar Pradesh the paddy growers are getting only Rs 1200-1400 per quintal,” she said.