Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra addresses a public meeting for Assembly polls in Datia, Madhya Pradesh, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023.
Credit: PTI Photo
Bhopal: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday accused Union minister and her former party colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia of betraying people's faith and `upholding his family's tradition'.
Speaking at an election campaign rally in Datia assembly constituency of Madhya Pradesh, she also mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for always complaining about how opposition leaders called him names.
Scindia quit the Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in March 2020, toppling the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh in the process.
She had worked with Scindia in Uttar Pradesh, Gandhi said, adding that he has a small physical stature but possesses a big ego.
Congress workers used to complain that they had to address Scindia as `Maharaj', otherwise he would not do their work, she claimed.
"In a way he (Scindia) has upheld his family tradition well, but he has betrayed the trust of the people of Gwalior and Chambal region. He stabbed you in the back. Toppled a government which you had voted into power,' the Congress general secretary said.
Notably, detractors of the Scindia family have claimed in the past that their ancestor and then ruler of the Gwalior princely state did not help Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi when she sought Gwalior's help against the British during the uprising of 1857.
Gandhi further said that prime minister Modi is 'top class' in recognising people.
"He has gathered traitors and cowards from all over the world in his party. I pity the good workers of the RSS and BJP, who have struggled for their party for years, because who knows, this army of cowards may take over their party," she added.
The Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh has the lowest unemployment rate while the job situation was very bad in the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi claimed.
She also took potshots at MP home minister Narottam Mishra, the BJP candidate from Datia, saying he watches films the whole day to see the attire of actors.
The Congress leader was apparently referring to Mishra's tirade against Deepika Padukone's costume in the Bollywood film 'Pathan'.
Terming Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as 'world-famous actor', the Congress leader said he can outshine Amitabh Bachchan, but whenever someone talks about work, he starts behaving like (comedian) Asrani.
She also took a swipe at Modi for 'crying' about the abuse he had faced from the opposition.
“Have you watched Salman Khan's film Tere Naam in which he keeps crying from start to end? I say, let us make a movie on Modi ji with the title Mere Naam”, she said.
Speaking on the last day of campaigning for the November 17 elections, she reiterated her party's promises including farm loan waiver, free 100 units of power, caste census and waiver of fees for recruitment examinations.
Stating that every sector including education, healthcare and agriculture is in bad shape, she said the BJP had promised to double the income of farmers but it did not materialise.
“When it comes to waiving the loans of farmers, they started lamenting about shortage of money, but the loans of thousands of crores of big industrialists are being waived,' the Congress leader alleged.
The people and farmers are reeling under inflation, and for the first time agriculture is being taxed as GST has been imposed on tractors and fertilisers, Gandhi said.
As the BJP was in power for 18 years, why did it introduce the Ladli Behna scheme for women only two months before the elections, she asked.
In the last three-and-half years, only '21 jobs were provided' by the state government, she claimed.
Farm loans were waived in Chhattisgarh and the Old Pension Scheme was being implemented in every Congress-ruled state, she said.
Migration has stopped in Chhattisgarh and those who had left in search of work are returning, she added.
Prime minister Modi is giving away big government companies which provided jobs to his friends, the Congress leader alleged, claiming that unemployment was at its peak in the last 45 years.
At a rally at Sidhi, Gandhi said leaders talk about caste and religion to get votes, but people should vote on the basis of work.
A Congress government in Madhya Pradesh will take the decision to implement its promises including Rs 1500 allowance for women in the very first cabinet meeting, Gandhi said.