In poll-bound Chhattisgarh, PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi take swipe at each other

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday kicked off campain blitkrieg in the poll-bound Chhattisgarh. While PM addressed rally in Naxal-hit  Bastar district's headquarters Jagdalpur, Rahul Gandhi held campaign rallies in  Pakhanjore town of Kanker district followed by Rajnandgaon district's Khairgarh and Dongargarh towns. The Congress scion will  tour the state for two days during which he will address five rallies. The Congress President also released party's manifesto for the upcoming assembly elections.

 

Lashing out at the Congress party for supporting the urban Maoists who he said have ruined the lives of the poor Adivasi youth in Chhattisgarh, PM Modi said that he will not rest till e fulfils late Atal Bihari Vajpayee's dreams for a prosperous Chhattisgarh, adding the Congress-led government did not do enough to develop the Naxal-infested Bastar region citing the Maoist menace as an excuse.

 

On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi launched a tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, alleging they are "openly indulging in graft" and taking decisions only after "permission" from their industrialist friends.

 

 

Addressing his first election rally in Jagalpur, the headquarters of the Naxal, hit Bastar, PM Modi accused the party of supporting urban Maoists who were killing innocent people including jawans.

 

He also said that the Congress makes fun of 'adivasis' (tribals). "I don't know why Congress makes fun of adivasis. Once I had gone for a rally n North-East India and wore a traditional adivasi headgear but Congress leaders made fun of it. This was an insult of  adivasi culture," he said.

 

He also urged the people of Bastar to teach a fitting lesson to the Congress leaders, who on one hand try to shield the urban Naxals, and in Chhattisgarh speak about freeing the state from Naxals.

 

Describing Naxals as "monsters with evil mindset", the Prime Minister said earlier governments did not do enough for development of Bastar region.

 

In poll-bound Chhattisgarh, PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi take swipe at each other

 

"Will you forgive such people? These people will not win Chhattisgarh. I appeal to you to ensure that BJP wins all seats in the Bastar region. If anyone else wins, it will be a blot on Bastar's dreams," he added.

 

 

 

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, alleging they are "openly indulging in graft" and taking decisions only after "permission" from their industrialist friends.

 

Addressing a poll rally in Singh's home turf Rajnandgaon, Gandhi asserted his party would act against the "corrupt" and write off debts of farmers if elected to power in Chhattisgarh, which is being ruled by the BJP for the past 15 years.

 

At another rally in the poll-bound state ahead of the first-phase voting on November 12, he alleged, "In Delhi, Modi ji has 10-15 industrialists friends and similarly Chhattisgarh CM has 10-15 big businessmen friends. Modi ji and Singh never do any work until they take permission from these 10-15 friends."

 

The Congress has been accusing the Modi government of indulging in crony capitalism from time to time, a charge which has been vehemently denied by the saffron party. 

 

In the rally in Rajnandgaon, Gandhi accused Modi of pitching for industrialist Anil Ambani in the Rafale deal and referred to former France President Francois Hollande's reported remark to drive home his point.  

 

A French media report had in September quoted Hollande as purportedly saying that the Indian government proposed the Ambani-led Reliance Defence as the off-set partner for Dassault Aviation in the Rs 58,000-crore Rafale jet fighter deal and Paris did not have a choice.

 

The Reliance Group has denied allegations of Reliance Defence benefiting by thousands of crores in the Rafale deal.

 

Dassault, the makers of Rafale jets, has also said it had made the decision to partner with Reliance Defence for the deal.

 

Gandhi also targeted Raman Singh over his government's alleged chit fund scam, civil supplies scam and his son Abhishek Singh, who is accused of holding offshore assets.

 

"The truth is be it Raman Singh or Narendra Modi, they openly indulge in corruption. Be it Rafale or chit fund scam," Gandhi said.

 

"Pakistan put (former PM) Nawaz Sharif in jail (after revelations in Panama Papers). But the name of Raman Singh's son, Abhishek also emerged in Panama.

 

"When the Congress government will come (to power), action will be taken. Be it in Delhi or Chhattisgarh, whoever has indulged in corruption, we will put him behind bars," he said.

 

The Panama Papers refer to 11.5 million leaked documents published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists with details of offshore entities set up by a Panamanian legal firm.

 

The papers had named several world leaders and celebrities as having stashed money abroad in offshore companies. They also included details of entities set up by some Indian nationals.

 

In the past, Abhishek Singh has termed allegations against him with regards to Panama Papers as "baseless and politically motivated".

 

Gandhi attacked the BJP-led central government over the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which he alleged, was rather a 'Gabbar Singh Tax'.

 

The Congress chief told the gathering he did not want to make false promises to the people of the state like the ruling BJP had allegedly made.

 

Gandhi said his party had promised farm loan waiver during polls in Punjab and Karnataka and kept its word after coming to power in the two states.

 

"If elected to power, Congress will write off debt of each farmers in Chhattisgarh in 10 days," Gandhi told the gathering.

 

He also promised to give bonus to farmers if the Congress comes back to power in the state, where it has been in opposition for the past 15 years.

 

 

 

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday released party's manifesto for the upcoming Chhattisgarh polls.

 

In the manifesto, named as "People's Manifesto", the Congress has promised immediate loan waivers within 10 days of being voted to power. The party has also promised better healthcare facilities and a safer society for women in Chhattisgarh.

 

 

Addressing the media after releasing the manifesto, the Congress president said, "This is not Congress' Manifesto, it's People's Manifesto. Whatever we have mentioned in the manifesto is what people want from us. This manifesto is Congress party's commitment. I appeal to people to give an opportunity this time to the Congress; we will surely fulfill all the commitments promised to you. Whoever becomes the Chief Minister of the Congress party in Chhattisgarh is going to be accountable to deliver this document. That is the philosophy we are following."

 

 

Congress president Rahul Gandhi walked out of his Rs 4-crore car and stood in the queue during demonetisation, Bharatiya Janata Party said on Friday, countering the former’s attack earlier in the day. “Today Rahul ji in Chhattisgarh asked ‘did anyone see any rich black money holder get out of a big car and stand in the line during demonetisation?” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said. “Would like to tell him yes we saw you get out of your 4 crore car and stand in line.”

 

On Thursday, Gandhi had termed demonetisation a planned conspiracy to make black money white for Modi’s ‘suit-boot’ friends. “There is nothing innocent in this scandal. Deriving any other meaning to this exercise would be an insult to the nation,” Gandhi had tweeted.Congress president Rahul Gandhi walked out of his Rs 4-crore car and stood in the queue during demonetisation, Bharatiya Janata Party said on Friday, countering the former’s attack earlier in the day. “Today Rahul ji in Chhattisgarh asked ‘did anyone see any rich black money holder get out of a big car and stand in the line during demonetisation?” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said. “Would like to tell him yes we saw you get out of your 4 crore car and stand in line.”

 

On Thursday, Gandhi had termed demonetisation a planned conspiracy to make black money white for Modi’s ‘suit-boot’ friends. “There is nothing innocent in this scandal. Deriving any other meaning to this exercise would be an insult to the nation,” Gandhi had tweeted.

 

 

The Congress on Friday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "urban Naxals" attack on it, saying he is staring at defeat in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh and is resorting to this to hide his "abject failure" and "weak-kneed" approach towards fighting Naxalism.

 

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also attacked him while quoting his pro-Naxal comments made as Gujarat Chief minister. He also quoted Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh over his remarks made in 2015 that Naxals are "sons of the soil" and would be welcomed back in the mainstream as children.

 

He also said that the Congress had lost its entire leadership in Naxal attacks ahead of last assembly elections.

 

"Staring at defeat in Chhattisgarh/MP, a frustrated PM seeks to hide his abject failure and weak-kneed approach to fighting Naxalism, which he claimed to finish post Demonetisation. Post Demo, 1030 Naxal incidents till February 2018 and 114 jawans martyred (sic)," Surjewala said on Twitter.

 

Taking a dig at Modi, he said the prime minister indulged in his trademark "petty politics" and did not even remember the 11 jawans who lost their lives in the past fortnight, including five CISF jawans on Thursday, in Naxal attacks in Chhattisgarh.

 

"Reminding a spineless Modi Government that we lost 11 Jawans to Naxal terror in Chhattisgarh in last 14 days since October 27, including 5 CISF jawans yesterday. Did Modiji find time to even remember them today as he indulged in his trademark petty politics?" he asked.

 

In a series of tweets, the Congress leader quoted Modi, when he as Gujarat chief minister in May 2010 had said that "Naxals are our own people". He also quoted Raman Singh in May 2015 saying "Naxals are the sons of the soil and will be welcomed back as their children".

 

"Modiji, do you still stand by: Your own statement calling ‘Naxals’ our ‘own people’ and Dr Raman Singh calling Naxals ‘sons of the soil’ who will be ‘welcomed like our own children’. Do you remember Congress lost over 25 of its leaders to Naxal terror under BJP’s watch," he said.

 

He alleged Modi's "shrill claims and dishonesty" come to the fore when Naxalism-affected Chhattisgarh is allocated a paltry Rs 53 crore. It "speaks volumes about your incompetence", he added.

 

Elections to the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly will be held in two phases on November 12 and November 20.