Raebareli was being given ‘stepmotherly’ treatment as the Narendra Modi-Yogi Adityanath governments have stalled several development projects brought in by the Congress, party president Sonia Gandhi accused on Monday.
Ms. Gandhi, who represents the parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh, also alleged them of being irresponsible and turning their back on people during COVID-19 and the lockdown.
“We had brought in several development schemes for you but the Modi-Yogi governments put a stop to all of them. Stepmotherly treatment was meted out to Raebareli… You have seen the politics of Congress – which is based on service of people and giving rights to people,” she stated, addressing a virtual rally ahead of the February 23 polling in which the Assembly seats coming under her constituency will vote.
It was Ms. Gandhi’s first virtual address in the poll-bound U.P., where three of the seven phases of polling are already over.
“It’s going to be an important election because for the last five years you have seen a government which did nothing except divide people,” she said.
Plight of migrants
Attacking the Centre and the State government over the plight of migrants during the pandemic-induced lockdown, she stated, “The Modi-Yogi governments gave proof of how irresponsible they are. They turned away their faces from your problems and shut their eyes to your woes. Not only this, their behaviour towards you was also not good during the lockdown. The government did not provide you any relief.”
Once considered a pocket borough of the Gandhi family, Raebareli poses a huge challenge for the Congress as outgoing Congress MLA Aditi Singh has joined the BJP and is now contesting on BJP ticket. After wresting the Amethi Lok Sabha seat from the Congress in the 2019 election, the BJP is looking to dent the Congress’s prospects at Raebareli.
‘Farmers under burden of debt’
The Congress chief attacked the BJP over a host of other issues, including inflation, unemployment and problems faced by farmers. She said farmers worked hard to grow crops for everyone but they neither got an appropriate price for their produce, nor fertilizers or facilities for irrigation. “Farmers got under burden of debt while stray animals kept ruining their crops.”
The youth, who studied and prepared hard for jobs, were forced to stay at home as they were not given jobs despite 12 lakh vacant government jobs, she said.
Noting that the Congress brought in rights-based legislations such as MGNREGA, she observed that it was a pity that during a crisis/pandemic, the budget for MGNREGA was slashed instead of being increased.
“Brothers and sisters, I consider myself an inseparable part of your family. We are committed to pursuing a politics which makes your life better... In this election, strengthen the ‘hand’ [party symbol] of the Congress party and select the politics which will make your future better,” she said, adding that 8,000 party workers were jailed while fighting for the rights of the people in the State.
