Guwahati: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday reiterated that the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi was pro- industrialists and did not bother much about the poor farmers.
Addressing a party’s election rally in Nagaon , a hub of agriculture and horticulture products in Central Assam, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that the Congress party would continue with its pro-poor policies while appealing to the people to help the party retain power in New Delhi after the polls.
Rahul accused the opponent BJP of selling out to corporate houses. He alleged that Narendra Modi in capacity of the chief minister in Gujarat had compromised the interests of farmers in the interest of big industry house.
“Narendra Modi says he will bring about development. But his development is meant for only big industrialists,” he said, adding, “You may not know here that Modi gave away farmers’ land at throwaway prices to a big industrialists called Adani in Gujarat. Congress can never do such a thing that will compromise the welfare of our farmers.”
On Modi’s vote appeal to the people to appoint him as the ‘chowkidar’ (watchman) of the nation’s wealth, the Congress leader said, “When we retain power, we will appoint him as a chowkidar. But whether he is capable of performing up to the mark or not ,that we will decide later.”
He also alleged that women were not given prominence in Modi’s election campaign and that Modi’s promise for women empowerment was a hogwash.
Mentioning about various UPA government’s schemes and programmes, like MGNREGA, RTI, Rahul said the Congress was a pro-poor government and would continue with its welfare programmes, if it retained power.
He said the poor were provided shelter over their heads, medicines at free of cost and quality education had been ensured to children of the poor.
He said there was need to develop industries in all corners of the country and Congress had drawn-up a plan to replace ‘Made in China’ products with locally made products.
“We see ‘Made in China’ on T-shirts and shoes now. We want to replace it with ‘Made in Assam’ and ‘Made in Nagaon’,” he said referring to the level of industrialization the Congress was mooting for the entire country.
