Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Congress for corruption, neglect and apathy towards Dalits and tribal while addressing the tribal-dominant region of Sidhi in MP on Tuesday here. "Earlier the Congress opposed President Droupadi Murmu’s candidacy due to her Dalit background and now they are opposing appointing a Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), who hails from the Dalit community in Rajasthan, Modi said".
The Government of India appointed Heeralal Samariya as CIC on Monday. The Congress intentionally boycotted the scheduled meeting arranged to decide the nomination of CIC, Modi claimed. He attributed Congress missing the meeting as an insult to the entire Dalit and backward class community.
Modi accused the Congress of large-scale corruption, including the coal scam and telecom scam during the previous regime, in addition to showing apathy towards farmers. "The Congress's promise of a farmers' loan waiver was nothing more than a bundle of lies, as during their 15-month rule, they failed to deliver. The misrule of the Congress had plunged the state into an era of darkness (Bimaru Rajya), and the Dalits, tribals, and the poor suffered the most. Under the NDA government, a series of welfare schemes and development works have uplifted 8 districts, including Singrauli and Damoh in MP, from their previous backward status to normal," he said.
"The BJP promises to deliver on its guarantees and pledges to transform the state within the national mainstream. The Vindhya region is on the cusp of an upward swing, thanks to a series of infrastructure development schemes that are already in progress. Rewa solar power, which has earned a high reputation in Asia, along with irrigation projects, highway projects, and airport projects for Rewa, will facilitate tourism and industrial growth in this region," Modi said. He also highlighted the centrally sponsored welfare schemes, such as the Ayushman scheme in the health sector, free ration for poor families, PM Awas Yojna (housing schemes), farm subsidies, Ujjwala scheme (gas connections with a Rs 500 subsidy), and sanitation initiatives, "all aimed at benefiting the Dalit, tribal, and backward communities".
Modi commented on the ongoing discussion about the Ram Mandir narrative, connecting the mythological story of Rajkumar Ram from Ayodhya to his transformation into Bhagwan Ram and attributing credit to the tribal community. "Sidhi, being the birthplace of Birbal, carries his intellectual legacy, which is evident, especially among the youth. This intellectual legacy will help first-time voters clearly understand the reasons behind the downfall of the Congress party," he said. Modi charged that the exploitation and corruption by the Congress, which resulted in the saying "Garib ki jeb saaf aur kaam half," led to their collapse.
Sidhi made headlines due to an incident where a purportedly distant relative of BJP's sitting MLA, Kedar Shukla, urinated on a Dalit boy, sparking nationwide outrage. Following the controversy, the BJP decided to nominate Member of Parliament Riti Pathak instead of Kedar Shukla, who turned independent candidate from Sidhi.