Leader of Oppostion in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during his 'Haryana Vijay Sankalp Yatra' ahead of Haryana Assembly elections, on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
Sonipat: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the Narendra Modi government of attacking the Constitution and also slammed it over various issues including unemployment, the Agniveer scheme and farmers' welfare.
Addressing a public meeting in Sonipat while campaigning for the October 5 Haryana assembly polls, he also alleged that the government was working for a handful of billionaires in the country.
"While en route to this place, a man stopped me. He told me he runs a small business. He said Modi and the Haryana government destroyed him," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said as he blamed demonetisation and "wrong" GST.
"He (the man) told me they did this to help Adani and Ambani," claimed Gandhi.
"Everyone knows that the central and Haryana governments are being run to help two-three 'arabpatis'. Whatever avenues of employment you had, they have been shut," he alleged.
Attacking the BJP-led government over the issue of the Agnipath scheme, he alleged the military recruitment programme was a way to "steal" a soldier's pension, canteen facilities and martyr status he gets (when he lays down life for his motherland).
"Earlier, there used to be public sector, government factories, these have been privatised. Wherever, you see, you will only see Adani and Ambani names," he further alleged.
Gandhi claimed that the motive behind "stealing" jawans' pension was to hand over the defence budget to Adani.
He alleged that a company owned by Adani was putting its labels on weapons which were manufactured by foreign companies.
"Modi only wanted to give a defence contract to Adani," he charged.
"On one side the pension of jawans was snatched, martyr status and the same money goes into Adani's pocket," he alleged.
He raised the drug menace issue in Haryana and said everyone knows drugs are spreading tentacles.
"I want to ask Modi ji when thousands of kilos of heroin was seized from your friend Adani's Mundra port, what action did you take? How many did you send to jails for this," he asked.
"When thousands of kilos of drugs were seized, Narendra Modi, Gujarat government did not take any action," he claimed.
Gandhi again raised the issue of several Haryana youths going to the US while adopting an illegal route after spending a huge sum of money in search of better future saying they were unable to get employment opportunities in their home state.
"This is what the Haryana government and Modi has given. Earlier the employment which people used to get has been shut," he said.
Holding a copy of the Constitution in his hand, Gandhi said whatever poor people of the country, the Dalits, farmers, backward classes, it is because of this.
"For 24-hours, BJP attacks this (Constitution)," he alleged while flashing the copy of the Constitution before the gathering.
"When RSS put their own people in the country's institutions and do not give any place to the Dalits, backwards, tribals, poor, they are attacking the Constitution. When Narendra Modi helps people like Adani and Ambani and destroys the employment system of the country, they are attacking the Constitution," he alleged.
"Fight is this. If you have to understand the difference between BJP and Congress. In simple terms, I will make you understand," said Gandhi, and showing the copy of the Constitution to the gathering, added, "Woh isko khatam karte hai, hum iski raksha karte hai (they finish it, we protect it)".
In the Constitution, it is written that all citizens are equal, everyone should have one vote, he said.
"It means if you frame economic policies, frame for people of the country. When Narendra Modi waives Rs 16 lakh crore of 25 'arabpatis' and does not waive loans of farmers, students, mothers and sisters, then he is attacking this Constitution," he said.
"When Modi brings three black farm laws to help Adani, brings them to destroy lives of farmers, then he is attacking the Constitution," he alleged.
Gandhi asked the gathering if they had ever seen the faces of farmers being shown in the media.
"No. Are there only Modi and 'arabpati' in this country? Have you seen the marriage function of any poor person being shown in the media? Did you see the Ambani wedding? You know Ambani spent thousands of crore in the wedding, whose money is this? It is your money," he said.
A day will come when the government of India will be of the poor, labourers and farmers, he said.
Speaking about Haryana government's 'Parivar Pehchan Patra' (family ID) scheme, Gandhi said it is a 'parivar pareshan patra' scheme.
He alleged that it was launched with an intention of giving a contract worth Rs 1,000-2,000 crore to a company.
He promised to shut this scheme when his party is voted to power.
Referring to small political parties, he said they are the "B teams" of the BJP.
This fight is between the Congress and the BJP, he said.
Calling his party workers as "tigers", Gandhi said sometimes they fight with each other and then his job was to bring those tigers together.
It is a party of tigers and they are not scared of anyone, he said.
"Modi ji used to say he has a 56-inch chest. Now he runs away from Parliament during my speech," Gandhi claimed.
"Why? Because the ideology of the Congress which I call 'mohabbat ki dukan', we do not need hatred. Sometimes someone says they are enemies. I say no they are not. I do not hate even enemies. I do not hate BJP and Narendra Modi. I fight the battle of ideology. I am not scared. I do not hate anyone," he said.
"You may abuse or hit lathis as much as you can but we do not hate you. Because we know the country is made of love. It is not made of hatred," he said.
If Haryana has "topped" in unemployment and crime rate, it was because of "hatred" which they spread, he alleged.
Assembly Elections 2024 | In the first assembly polls since the Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi and the BJP face a rejuvenated and vindicated Opposition in the Haryana assembly polls. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir is voting after almost a decade and it remains to be seen how the abrogation of Article 370 has impacted the political landscape of the Valley. Track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.