Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday accused the BJP-led central and state governments of working for the business tycoons rather than for the poor, middle class and farmers.
Speaking at an election meeting in Damoh district in the impoverished Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh, where elections are scheduled to be held on November 17, she also alleged that the Centre had given the "country's property" to some big industrialists.
Addressing the gathering, she said, "Old Pension Scheme (OPS) is one of your demands. You want future security after working honestly for 20 years. It is your service to the nation. But the leaders and government say they don't have money. Why have the loans of big industrialists like (Gautam) Adani ji, running into hundreds of crores, been waived? Where did you get this money from?"
"You (government) have given them the country's property. You are flying in an aircraft worth Rs 8,000 crore. The Parliament building was in a good shape, but you are spending Rs 20,000 on its beautification," she said, apparently referring to the Central Vista project.
"You made a big hall in New Delhi by spending Rs 27,000 crore," Gandhi alleged, apparently targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the construction of the Bharat Mandapam International Exhibition-Convention Centre, where the G-20 Summit was held.
The Congress leader's criticism was apparently directed at PM Modi. But she did not name him in her speech. The Election Commission on Thursday issued a show-cause notice to Priyanka Gandhi over her "envelop" remarks related to PM Modi's temple visit.
"The Centre and the state governments are being run for big industrialists. There is no place for the middle class, poor and farmers," she said.
According to her, the country was witnessing huge unemployment and price rise, but the government was not bothered about it.
"Small businesses, which were hit by demonetisation and the coronavirus pandemic, are facing hardships in paying Good Services Tax (GST). Across the world, only the government in India did not provide any concession to people during the pandemic," she alleged.
Urging people not to get carried away by the leaders who play with their religious sentiments, she said, adding that people need to take their future into account while casting their vote during elections.
The people of Bundelkhand were shifting to other places due to lack of job opportunities in the region, she said, and reminded those present at the rally about the brain child of brother Rahul Gandhi's multi-crore economic package given during the UPA-2 government for the development of Bundelkhand region.
"The problem of unemployment is being faced everywhere in the country as job generation avenues have almost completely shrunk," she said.
"First, the government closed public sector undertakings (PSUs) and sold them to its friends. Later, it implemented demonetisation and rolled out GST which was followed by COVID-19 pandemic...All these things have broken the backbone of the people of the country."
Gandhi said that Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Generation Act (MGNREGA) has been weakened. Farmers are not getting any relief, she said.
She once again demanded a caste census, saying the exercise was necessary to know the exact number of people from Other Backward Classes (OBCs),
Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities in the country so that policies can be framed accordingly to provide benefits to them.
"What is the meaning of a caste census? We want to know how many people are there in the country from the OBC, SC and ST communities. If the government doesn't know their exact number, how will it give justice to them?" she asked.
The caste census conducted in Bihar revealed that there are 84 per cent OBCs and Dalits in the state, she said.
"But when you look at the higher posts in the country, you will find that there is no representation for them (these communities) there. Ninety per cent of these positions do not have people from these communities. If 84 per cent people belong to this category, then they should be given representation," she said.
"When we talk about conducting a caste census, they (BJP government) turn silent, although they are organising big events...," she alleged.
Gandhi also slammed the BJP government in the state for introducing the Ladli Behna Yojana, under which women are being given financial assistance, just two months ahead of assembly elections.
"Do you consider them (women) fools and think that they don't understand all these things? What have they (BJP) done in the last 18 years of being in power?" Gandhi asked.
In the last three years, the BJP government in the state provided only 21 jobs, despite the fact that a large number of posts, including those of doctors and police, are lying vacant, she claimed.
Gandhi advised people to become aware so that they can fight for their rights, and urged them to vote for the Congress for their better future.
