Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made allegations of corruption against the son of a Union minister during a campaign speech in Harda, Madhya Pradesh, as part of his party's efforts leading up to the November 17 Assembly polls in the state, with results scheduled for December 3.
Gandhi contended that a video allegedly showed the Union minister's son "stealing money from farmers, the poor, and laborers," and he questioned whether the Narendra Modi government had dispatched investigative agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation, and the Income Tax Department to look into the matter.
Accusations of corruption were at the forefront of Gandhi's speech, as he asserted that the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh operated on a system of "50 percent commission (cuts and kickbacks)" and was embroiled in corruption across various domains.
Referring to the video in question, Gandhi questioned whether any action had been taken by the government or investigative agencies in response. The Union minister's son has publicly claimed that the video is fake and has filed an FIR against unidentified individuals in connection with the matter.
The collapse of the Kamal Nath government in March 2020 was another subject of discussion for Gandhi, who alleged that the "BJP, in collusion with big industrialists," orchestrated the downfall of the Congress government that had been working on loan waivers for 27 lakh farmers.
The Congress leader underscored the importance of small traders and businesses in generating employment and criticized the BJP's approach to demonetization.
Furthermore, he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making false claims about establishing 500 factories in the state.
Gandhi praised welfare initiatives implemented by the Congress government in neighboring Chhattisgarh, promising that similar measures would be introduced in Madhya Pradesh once his party assumed power.
In his speech, Gandhi also criticized the BJP's terminology, highlighting that the party referred to tribals as 'vanvasi' or forest-dwellers, while the correct term is Adivasi or original inhabitants, which the Congress uses.
Gandhi made reference to a recent incident in Sidhi that sparked outrage nationwide, where a BJP leader allegedly urinated on the face of a tribal man and shared the video online. He characterized the BJP's actions as "shameless" and accused the party of harboring such thinking.
The Congress leader emphasized the party's commitment to providing quality education to children from tribal communities and accused the BJP of attempting to keep them away from English education.
Gandhi concluded his speech by making several promises, including providing LPG cylinders at Rs 500, waiving farmers' loans up to Rs 2 lakh, ensuring a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,600 for wheat (to be increased to Rs 3,000), and offering free electricity up to 100 units.
Later in the evening, Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to participate in a road show in Bhopal and a corner meeting in Narela, the state capital.
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