BJP president Nitin Nabin on Thursday took a veiled dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's upcoming 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme in Indore, questioning the Congress' record on providing loans to young people.
Speaking at a Madhya Pradesh government programme to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday and his 25 years as an elected representative, Nabin said some people were now talking about the youth but had never thought of providing them loans for development.
"People are talking about youths these days. During your time, did you ever think of giving loans to 57 crore youths," he said, in an apparent reference to Rahul Gandhi's programme.
Nabin also accused the Opposition of being "restless" because of India's development under the Modi government and alleged that its leaders were unable to see a path to power.
He criticised Opposition parties for questioning BJP programmes such as 'Seva Diwas', 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' and 'Ashirwad ka Diya' being organised to mark Modi's birthday.
"You only indulged in politics, while we worked to unite society and take people forward on the path of development. You cannot understand the meaning of the word service," Nabin said.
He said the Modi government had launched schemes such as Startup India, the Unicorn initiative and the MUDRA loan scheme for young people. More than two lakh startups were operating in the country and young people were emerging as job creators, he claimed.
Nabin also attacked the Congress over its approach to welfare schemes, alleging that previous Congress governments distributed benefits on the basis of vote banks, while the Modi government provides assistance based on need and priority.
He accused the Congress of having left behind a "divisive mindset" and referred to the abrogation of Article 370, saying the issue could have been resolved by former Home Minister Sardar Patel had Congress governments "properly united" the country.
Modi, Nabin said, had sought to unite the country under the slogan of 'Nation First', while alleging that the Opposition followed a "Self First, Party Next and Nation Last" approach.
Nabin also criticised Opposition parties over their response to the recently concluded 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, alleging that they focused on the food menu rather than India's stature at the summit.
Earlier, Nabin launched the Madhya Pradesh government's 'Swamitva Adhikar Abhilekh Nispadan evam Panjiyan Yojana 2026' in Indore. The scheme provides for free registration of rural property records and is aimed at covering around 50 lakh privately held rural properties, according to officials.
Nabin said the scheme would enable rural residents to formally register their properties and live with a sense of dignity and self-respect.
Highlighting Modi's contribution to development, Nabin said the Prime Minister had connected the country's 140 crore people with development while carrying forward India's heritage.
The programme was attended by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, among others.
(With inputs from PTI)
