RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM/ANAKAPELLE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a scathing attack on the YSRC and Congress, accusing them of indulging in rampant corruption. Speaking at NDA’s election rallies at Vemagiri in Rajamahendravaram and Rajupalem in Anakapalle on Monday, Modi said both parties are cut from the same cloth.
Citing the seizure of ‘mountains of cash’ at the house of a servant of the personal secretary of Jharkhand Rural Development minister and Congress leader Alamgir Alam, the Prime Minister wondered why such persons were “close to the Congress first family.” He further quipped, “They (Congress) have turned the worker’s house a godown of corruption.”
Pointing out that this is not the first time such a huge cash haul has been reported, Modi recalled, “Earlier also a big sum of cash was seized at an MP’s residence in Jharkhand. The catch was so huge, even machines were tired of counting.”
Demanding to know if the money was stacked in the godown to supply it, he said, “The country wants to know from Congress Shehzada (referring to Rahul Gandhi), if the party’s first family has established warehouses of black money.”
YSRC can manage corruption, not finances: PM
Stating that he was seeking legal consultations on returning the stolen money to the rightful owners, Modi explained, “As of now, the ED (Enforcement Directorate) has only caught hold of property worth `1.15 lakh crore. But if you sum all of these up, it accounts for many crores of rupees. Hence, I am consulting with legal experts to try and get back people’s money that was stolen.”
Asserting that it is Modi’s guarantee that no poor person will be affected, he said `17,000 crore has already been returned to the rightful owners.
Training his guns on the ruling YSRC in Andhra Pradesh, the Prime Minister alleged, “The government wanted to establish three capitals with a motive of looting the State, but could not as the exchequer was empty. YSRC can manage corruption, but not finances.”
Further, Modi said the YSRC had an opportunity to prove its mettle for five years, but it wasted the time and also let the State’s potential go to waste.
“When Chandrababu Naidu was in power, the State was at the peak of its league. But the YSRC government derailed all that progress. Instead of working for the welfare of the people, the YSRC drowned the State in debt,” Modi claimed.
He reiterated, “Be it anywhere, only NDA can guarantee welfare.” Stating that the youth of Andhra Pradesh are known for their technological skills and acumen, Modi said the State should grow along with the country. “However, under the present regime, development has been zero and corruption has been 100%,” he criticised the ruling YSRC.
Cautioning people to be wary of the Congress, he remarked, “Till 10 years ago, all that the country saw was scams.”
Emphasising that development would be possible only with a double-engine NDA government, he asserted that the State will script a new chapter in growth after June 4. Stating that the NDA’s mantra is reform, perform, and transform, Modi said, “Your right vote will transform problems into opportunities.”
Questioning the YSRC government’s credibility, Modi sought to know how its promise of total prohibition became a liquor business run by the government forming syndicates. Liquor, sand, and land mafia rule the roost in the State, he alleged.
Elaborating on the Centre’s contribution to the development of the State, he blamed the YSRC government for delaying the Polavaram project. The Prime Minister said though the Centre released `15,000 crore, the State government could not complete the irrigation project. “It has curtailed the lifeline of the State,” he said. Claiming that the farmers of the State were struggling for proper irrigation, and weren’t even receiving MSP (Minimum Support Price) for paddy, Modi promised that after June 4, the NDA government in the State will address all these problems.
Referring to the Uttarandhra Sujjala Sravanthi Project, Modi said Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy did not continue the projects taken up by his father and former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.
Modi also found fault with the YSRC government for not distributing even half of the total 24 lakh houses allocated under the PM Awas Yojana. Further, he assured good days for sugarcane farmers and fisherfolk under the NDA government in the coming days.
While TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh, Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan and BJP State unit chief D Purandeswari were present in Rajahmundry during PM Modi’s public address, TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu and JSP secretary general Nagendra Babu attended the meeting in Anakapalle. The Prime Minister left soon after his public address, before Naidu began his speech.
