RAIPUR: In his campaign today in Kawardha district of poll-bound Chhattisgarh, Rahul Gandhi alleged the BJP spread hate and incited one religion and one caste against each other. The Congress leader was addressing a public rally in the district where the lone minority Congress candidate Mohammed Akbar, a minister in Bhupesh Baghel cabinet, is a candidate. On October 18, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma gave a controversial remark during a BJP poll campaign and invited a notice from the Election Commission.
Sarma had then reportedly said the “sacred land of Mata Kaushalya will be defiled if Akbar is not removed. When one Akbar arrives in a particular location, he brings along a hundred Akbars.” The only temple of Kaushalya, mother of Lord Ram, is at Chandkhuri about 30 km from Raipur. Chhattisgarh, was said to be ‘Dakshin Kaushalya pradesh’ and a maternal home of Lord Ram.
The BJP CM needs to respond to the EC notice by October 30. “Congress opens a shop of love in the market of hatred,” said Rahul in Kawardha. He promised two international airports for Chhattisgarh if Congress returns to power in Delhi. “Then Chhattisgarh will not just remain a rice bowl of India but have a global reach,” he said.
The Congress leader in yet another promise declared free treatment facility up to Rs 10 lakh to the poor under the state’s existing health assistance scheme in Chhattisgarh if his party retains power in the state.
CM Bhupesh Baghel, in response to Rahul’s assurance, wrote on his X handle “Our Guarantee: Under Dr Khubchand Baghel Health Assistance Scheme, the poor will get free treatment facility up to Rs 10 lakh in place of existing Rs 5 lakh, while others will get up to Rs 5 lakh in place of the existing Rs 50,000 (if Congress retains power in the state).”
He also promised that the Rs 7,000 given under the Rajiv Gandhi Bhoomiheen Kisan Nyay Yojana will be raised to Rs 10,000. Rahul reiterated that the caste census will be carried out in the country if the Congress is voted to power in the Centre. “There are two ways of running government — one, to benefit the richest people who are helped by the BJP and, the other, to support the very poor, farmers, labourers, unemployed, backwards as practiced by the Congress government”, Rahul said. He said the Congress works for the poor, labourers, farmers, backward classes, tribals and Dalits, while the BJP-led Centre works for billionaires like Adani.
7,000 given under the Rajiv Gandhi Bhoomiheen Kisan Nyay Yojana will be raised to Rs 10,000. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhupesh Bagel on Saturday said that the NOTA option, for citizens who are not inclined to vote for any candidate, on the electronic voting machines should be scrapped. Following a Supreme Court order, the Election Commission in 2013 added the ‘none of the above’, or NOTA, button to the EVM as the last option on the voting panel. NOTA has its own symbol: a ballot paper with a black cross on it. Baghel said it has been seen that sometimes NOTA polled more votes than the margin of victory and loss. It got more than 2 lakh votes in 2018 polls.
BJP spreading hatred, says Cong leader
Rahul accused the BJP of spreading religious and caste hatred. “Congress opens a shop of love in the market of hatred,” said Rahul. He was addressing a rally in Kawardha where the lone minority Congress candidate Mohammed Akbar, a minister in Bhupesh Baghel cabinet, is a candidate. On October 18, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma gave a controversial remark during a BJP poll campaign and invited a notice from the Election Commission.