New Delhi: Addressing the Congress party’s ‘Pratigya Rally’ in Gorakhpur, General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra targetted the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government on various issues including farmers’ concerns.
Bringing up the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, she said: “The way farmers were murdered in Lakhimpur Kheri and the fact no one heard their plights show the reality of this government . It shows how no one is ready to listen to farmers’ plight in the country”, news agency ANI reported.
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Priyanka Gandhi alleged that “Dalits, weavers, OBCs, the poor, minorities, and Brahmins have been exploited”, adding that “Yogi Adityanath Ji is running the government against the teachings of Guru Gorakhnath. This government is attacking people on a daily basis”.
Congress party had recently announced its decision to give 40 per cent tickets to women in the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.
Emphasising the same, the Congress General Secretary said: “I want to tell my sisters: I will fight for you, Congress will fight for you. I want to give power to you so that you can fight your struggle. When 40 per cent women will come in the politics, they will change the face of politics”.
Speaking on the occasion of Former PM Indira Gandhi’s death anniversary, Priyanka remembered her grandmother saying: “She (Indira Gandhi) knew that she could be murdered but never bowed down because for her, there was nothing greater than your faith in her. It is because of her teachings that I am standing in front of you and I will also never break your faith”.
Samajwadi Party’s president Akhilesh Yadav had on Saturday remarked that “the opinion of Samajwadis for the Congress and BJP is that both are the same”.
Responding to this, Priyanka Gandhi said: “They (SP and BSP) say Congress is working in collusion with BJP. I want to ask: Why don't they stand with you in your tough times? Only Congress is fighting. I will die but never have any kind of relationship with BJP”.
Talking about the issue of MSP on sugarcane produce, the Congress leader cornered the Adityanath government as she said: “It has been said that the MSP for sugarcane will be raised. Why are you announcing it now? What were you doing in the last 4.5 years? Didn’t you find the right time to increase the price of sugarcane in the last 4.5 years?”
“You know who shut down sugarcane mills established during Congress governments here. governments of SP and BSP closed those mills and they are saying that Congress is working in collusion with BJP,” she claimed, targetting rivals Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party.
Reiterating the Congress party’s allegations against the Union government over its divestment plans, Priyanka claimed: “Congress established Railways, airports, roads. They’re (Centre) selling all of them. They ask what we did in 70 years. They have wasted efforts of 70 years in just 7 years... There are 5 crore unemployed youths in UP. 3 youths die by suicide every day due to unemployment”.
Congress party’s ‘Pratigya Yatra’ is aimed at garnering support for the party from every part of the state ahead of the crucial 2022 Assembly polls.
During these rallies, Congress is communicating its ’seven pledges to the people in the state, apart from its election manifesto.
As the first resolution, Priyanka Gandhi announced to give 40 per cent tickets to women candidates from the Congress during the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and also pledged to give smartphones to class 10 pass girl students and e-scooters to graduate girl students if the party comes to power in the state.
Some of the other promises include farm loan waivers and Rs 25,000 per year to poor families.
(With Agency Inputs)