DEHRADUN: Hitting out at the Congress, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the grand old party is synonymous with corruption and scams and its leaders always turn down promises.
Shah, while speaking at the inauguration event of 'Ghasiyari Kalyan Yojana' here, challenged Uttarakhand's former Chief Minister Harish Rawat to an open debate over the promises made and fulfilled by Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that his party has fulfilled around 85 per cent of promises made in its manifesto.
"Congress is synonymous with corruption and scams. The party do not bother about the development of any state. Congress always turns down its promise. Congress only does appeasement and cannot do any welfare work for Uttarakhand," the Union Minister said.
"The Congress leaders could not be been seen during COVID-19, floods in the state. But when elections are around they emerge and start doing press conferences," he said.
Shah further lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and said, "Only BJP government under the leadership of PM Modi can work for the welfare of the poor and provide good governance to the country. Uttarakhand has seen overall development in the last four years. BJP is committed to the development of the state under the leadership of CM Pushkar Singh Dhami."
"I challenge Harish Rawat Ji to an open debate on the promises made and fulfilled by Congress and BJP in their respective election manifestos. The BJP has fulfilled around 85 per cent of promises made in its manifesto," he added.
Shah also informed that PM Modi would be visiting the Kedarnath Dham on November 5, where he will be inaugurating an idol of Adi Shankaracharya.
Polls for the 70-member Uttarakhand Assembly are scheduled to take place in early 2022.
In the 2017 elections, BJP secured 57 Assembly seats, Congress won 11 seats and the rest of the seats were won by others.