Ghaziabad : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today said that winds of change had already started blowing across the country.
Addressing a joint press conference on the last day of the campaigning for the first phase of elections, Gandhi and Yadav claimed that the BJP had been completely exposed.
They said, all the INDIA partners had broadly agreed on different issues facing the country, particularly saving the democracy and constitution besides addressing the issues of unemployment, price rise and social justice.
Holding Prime Minister Modi in dock on corruption, Gandhi said, he (Modi) was claiming the electoral bond scheme to be transparent. He asked, if it was so, why was it rejected by the Supreme Court. He said, the fact was that the Electoral Bonds had exposed the corruption of the BJP. “Whole country knows that Prime Minister Modi is the champion of corruption”, he remarked
He claimed that there was strong undercurrent in support of the Congress/INDIA and the BJP will not be able to cross even 150 mark.
Replying to a question about the possibility of his contesting from Amethi, Gandhi said, it depends on the party and whatever the party’s decision will be, he will abide by that.
On the issue of “common manifesto” of the INDIA parties, he said, Congress party was open to all suggestions from the alliance partners. He said the manifesto had the ideology of the alliance partners. He said, even now if the alliance partners had any suggestions these will be taken on board.
Drawing a comparison between the BJP and the Congress manifestos, he said, while the Congress manifesto talks about the pressing issues like unemployment, social justice, justice for farmers and other things, the BJP manifesto, he remarked tauntingly, just talks about bringing Olympic games to India in another 10-15 years and sending someone on moon. He pointed out how far removed the BJP was from the harsh realities prevailing in the country.
Gandhi pointed out, the Congress manifesto has focused on providing employment to youth. This, he added, includes the right to apprenticeship that will guarantee a first job to youth immediately after graduation or diploma with an assured income of Rs one lakh in the first year. Besides, he added, 30 lakh vacancies lying in government departments will be immediately filled.
For farmers, he said, the Congress has already promised legal guarantee for the MSP and waiving off their debt.
One woman in every poor family, he said, will get Rs one lakh every year in her bank account.
Akhilesh Yadav said that the BJP will be swept off by the INDIA bloc from Ghaziabad to Ghazipur and the winds of change which have started blowing in UP will spread across the country.
He pointed out, the BJP had failed in all its promises and commitments it had made like providing jobs or doubling the income of the farmers.
He alleged that the Electoral Bonds had taken off the veil of the morality claims of the BJP as it stood completely exposed. “Not only does the BJP induct the corrupt into its fold, it also takes the share from their corruption”, he added.
In a taunting tone about the claims of the ‘double engine’ government, Yadav said, there was only one person’s picture seen everywhere as everyone else had already vanished. He said, even that picture, in an oblique reference to Prime Minister Modi without taking his name, will vanish after the elections.
He alleged that the BJP government had been reduced to loot and lies only. “Yeh loot aur jhoot ki sarkar reh gayi hai”, he remarked.
