In a fresh jab at the Congress, and its ruling partner in the state, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM); Prime Minister Narendra Modi said they ‘know nothing’ about development.
Renewing his attack on the grand old party and its poll mascot Rahul Gandhi over the alleged promise to conduct a nationwide wealth X-day and redistribution if elected, PM Modi said the only goal of the Congress and its partners in the INDIA bloc is to ‘steal’ public wealth and assets.
Addressing a mega public rally at the Steel City, Jamshedpur, on Sunday, PM Modi said, “The Congress and the JMM know nothing about development. All that they can do is to speak aloud lies everywhere, over and over again. Their ulterior motive is to grab the humble assets of the poor or steal them in the name of wealth redistribution. They want to snatch the reservations guaranteed for the SCs, STs and OBSs. They hurl abuses at Modi every day. Can’t they think of anything beyond this? Their true faces have been unmasked before the country today.”
Weighing in on the huge cash recovery from the house of the domestic help of sitting minister and Congress leader Alamgir Alam’s aide, PM Modi said the Congress and JMM have looted Jharkhand at ‘every opportunity’.
“The leaders of the Congress and the JMM have amassed black money at the expense of the poor. They have pillaged Jharkhand and looted the people at every opportunity. The Congress is the mother of corruption. Sadly, when we talk about Jharkhand these days, piles and piles of currency notes flash before our eyes,” he said.
PM Modi vowed to return every cent that he alleged was looted by Opposition leaders.
“The JMM indulged in a land scam in Jharkhand. They usurped the land of poor tribals and those owned by the army. The mountains of notes being recovered from their houses are your money. Modi is retrieving the money that these dishonest people stole and hoarded. I am not doing this to put the recovered money in the government’s treasury. I will return every cent of it to the people who are the rightful owners of the stolen money. This is Modi’s guarantee,” Prime Minister Modi said.
He also accused Rahul of opposing the country’s wealth creators, projecting them as enemies of the State. “The Congress considers our entrepreneurs and wealth creators as enemies. Their leaders openly attack businessmen and corporates who do not give them money. They are not bothered about our industries or the welfare of our youth,” PM Modi said.
“Their ‘Shehzada’ keeps opposing business houses, businessmen, and investors. Which businessman will go and invest in the states they rule after being roundly abused? What will happen to the youth of these states? Many investors told me that they were unwilling to put their money in these states as the ruling parties were opposed to their practices and wealth creation. They are being abused and insulted. Most of our investors and wealth creators assume that since the Shehzada (Rahul) harbours such views against them, their partners would also see them in a negative light,” PM Modi added.
Calling the Congress a party that caters only to a family, PM Modi said Rahul fled Wayanad (the constituency he currently represents in the Lok Sabha) to Raebareli, playing on the emotion around it being his mother’s seat.
“The Congress’ Shehzada fled Wayanad to contest Raebareli in the ongoing elections. He is going to people, playing up emotions around Raebareli and how it was his mother’s seat. Even an 8-year-old child would know better than to call his school his father’s even if the latter studied in the same school. Jharkhand has to be saved from such parties that only serve families and not people,” PM Modi said.
Raebareli will be among the hotly contested seats in the fifth phase, with the BJP vowing to give the Congress a run for its money in its stronghold. In his battle to keep the Congress’ hold on Raebareli, Rahul is pitted against a formidable challenger in BJP’s Dinesh Pratap Singh.
Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who had been representing Raebareli in the Lok Sabha since 2004, vacated the seat earlier this year.
