NOIDA/RAMPUR: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday hit out at Yogi Adityanath and said the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government should increase employment opportunities instead of the chief minister talking about "cooling down" others.
Addressing an election campaign in Rampur, the Congress general secretary and party's UP affairs in-charge also accused the BJP-led Centre of destroying trade and businesses with ill-conceived policies.
"They keep saying 'garmi nikaal denge', 'charbi nikaal denge'. Are these the issues troubling the people? I want to ask them why they are not putting out vacancies and employment opportunities when they have been in power for five years," Priyanka said as she made a veiled attack on Adityanath.
She called on the voters to listen to politicians and understand whether they are talking about the development and welfare of the people or themselves.
"What has the government done, it has sold the PSUs (public sector undertakings) to its friends. Jobs come from PSUs. All small and medium-scale businesses and manufacturing units generate jobs but the government has made this sector weaker by demonetisation," Priyanka said.
She alleged that the government's economic policies have hit the common man while those with black money were living a good life.
"Note ban was the starting point from where the destruction of lakhs of small and medium-scale traders started. After that GST was imposed on you, and then you were hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The BJP has a government both at the Centre and in the state but they did nothing to save you or make you strong," she said.
"Today the prime minister is saying Congress gave free tickets to people to travel during the pandemic, he is accusing us of spreading COVID-19. You must understand his thought process. Lakhs of people were forced to travel hundreds of kilometers on foot and the PM says we did wrong by helping people," the Congress leader said.
Priyanka alleged the government did not help the people because the BJP's is not the government of the poor but pro-rich.
She also hit out at the Centre over issues of agriculture and slammed the BJP citing farmers' agitation, which she said forced the government to repeal the three farm legislations.
The four assembly seats of Chamrua, Bilaspur, Milak and Rampur (Sadar) in Rampur district of western Uttar Pradesh will go to polls on February 14 during the second phase of the assembly elections in the state.
A prime minister has a moral responsibility towards the country, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Thursday, hitting out at Narendra Modi for not seeking the resignation of Union minister Ajay Mishra, whose son is an accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.
Ashish Mishra, the son of the Union minister of state for home affairs, was granted bail by the Allahabad High Court on Thursday in connection with the October 3, 2021 violence in the Tikonia area of Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh, in which eight people, including four farmers, were killed.
"The son of their minister mowed down six farmers but did he resign? Everyone says our prime minister is a good man, then why did he not ask his minister to resign? Does he not have any moral responsibility towards the country?" Priyanka Gandhi asked while addressing a poll programme in Rampur.
"Today that man has got bail and soon, he would be roaming around openly, the man who mowed you down. But whom did the government save? Did it save the farmers? Where were the police and the administration when farmers were killed?" she asked.
The Congress general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh claimed that police were nowhere to be seen at the time of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident but were present to prevent the Congress members who tried to visit the families of the victims and posed no harm to anyone.
"But the father of the man, who did cause harm, stands on stages even today. A prime minister has a moral responsibility towards the nation and it is his dharma to fulfil this responsibility. This dharma is above every dharma. Whichever politician, prime minister or government fails to do this, must be ignored," she said.
"Understand the game that is being played with you. I know that the people of Uttar Pradesh are wise and I have learnt from all of you that you know who works for you. Then why are you getting misled by speeches of casteism, communalism and seeing (videos) on WhatsApp? This is not benefitting you, but it only helps the politicians," she added.
The Congress leader was in Rampur, which goes to polls on February 14, to address a public event.
She also took part in door-to-door campaigning in favour of the party candidates.
Modi on Thursday said it supported rioters and the mafia, and fielded criminals in western Uttar Pradesh for the assembly elections.
Addressing his first physical rally after the announcement of the poll schedule in Saharanpur, Modi told people that a BJP government was necessary in the state to keep it riot-free.
He also referred to the legislation enacted against triple-talaq, saying Adityanath's government was needed in the state so that no one could oppress Muslim women.
"Now these 'mafiawadis' (supporters of the mafia) have made the big culprit of the Saharanpur riots their partner in this election. And it is not just about Saharanpur. In the entire western Uttar Pradesh, these people have selectively fielded criminals," the prime minister said.
"These people are even making anti-nationals their proposers," he added.
"What happened in Muzaffarnagar was a stigma, but what happened here in Saharanpur was also horrifying. The Saharanpur riots are proof of how people are targeted under political patronage. Due to such acts, you taught a lesson to the rioters in 2017," Modi said, referring to the 2017 assembly elections.
The Muzaffarnagar riots took place in 2013, while the Saharanpur communal violence happened in July 2014.
Mentioning the triple-talaq law, the prime minister said, "Our government stands with every deprived, victim Muslim women. No one can oppress Muslim women, and for this, Yogiji's government is necessary."
A BJP government is necessary in Uttar Pradesh to keep women free from fear and send criminals to prison, he said.
A BJP government in the state is required so that the poor continue to get free treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh in good hospitals, Modi said, adding that it is also needed so that the money given under the PM Kisan Yojana keeps going into the bank accounts of small farmers.
Taking a jibe at political rivals, Modi asked should Adityanath send criminals and the mafia to palaces instead of prisons.
"People of this area have decided to vote for the BJP. Vote for the one who will keep our sisters and daughters free from fear and will send criminals to jail," he said.
A BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is necessary so that the poor continue to get free rations during the pandemic and the coronavirus vaccine at zero cost, the prime minister said, claiming, "Had these 'ghor pariwarwadis' been in the government, the vaccine would have been sold somewhere on the way."
Besides, a BJP government in the state is very important so that the poor continue getting PM Awas Yojana houses, he said.
Praising the Yogi Adityanath government, Modi said it is connecting the districts of Uttar Pradesh with good roads, increasing connectivity.
The Ganga Expressway, Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, Delhi-Yamunotri Highway, Delhi-Saharanpur four-lane, and the Saharanpur airport among others are being built, he added.
"In Uttar Pradesh, such big projects have never been done before in such fast pace," Modi asserted.
"Whatever resolution the BJP government takes, it fulfils. It is our own government which has paid more to sugarcane farmers than before. Yogiji's government has given more money to sugarcane farmers than they got in 10 years under previous governments," he added.
Due to the improvement in law and order, there is a trust for industrial development in the state, the prime minister said.
The BJP government is trying to increase the strength of every district, every region of Uttar Pradesh by recognising its specialty.
The 'one district-one product' scheme was started with this thought, he said.
Taking a swipe at the SP, he said the 'pariwarwadis' are constantly making hollow promises to the public, and warned people not to fall for them.
Highlighting the work done during the Covid pandemic, the prime minister said, "In the biggest crisis of 100 years, in the Covid global pandemic, the government of the poor did not allow any poor to sleep hungry."
"Today, crores of Uttar Pradesh residents, including large numbers of Dalit and backward class people, are getting double benefits of free rations," he said.
Claiming that earlier, the ration mafia used to eat up the rations meant for the poor, the Modi said the double-engine government has also stopped that and put "Aligarh lock" on their activities.
Drawing a comparison between the current government and the one under the SP, he said during their time, they had set a target to construct only 500 homes in Saharanpur city, out of which only 200 could be built, whereas under Adityanath, the target was set for 31,000, of which 18,000 have already been completed.
On sugarcane farmers, the prime minister said the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state are working on a massive campaign to save them from the troubles caused by the volatility of the sugar market.
He claimed this campaign would give a guarantee and security to their economic system, along with benefits.
"Uttar Pradesh received Rs 12,000 crore by making ethanol from sugarcane. Due to this, sugarcane farmers are getting security," he added.
Modi said that in the coming days, this amount would increase further.
Referring to the wood-carving business of Saharanpur, Modi said the BJP government of the state has taken it under its 'one district-one product' scheme.
The Saharanpur constituency will go to polls in the second phase on February 14.