Centre, state working for big biz houses’ welfare: Priyanka
In Prayagraj, Cong gen secy interacts with Nishad community members, says laws applicable to rivers were for the benefit of industrialists rather than fishermen and boatmen.
PRAYAGRAJ : Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday said the central and state governments were working for the welfare of big business houses and not for those who have voted them to power.
Interacting with members of the Nishad community at Baswar village in the trans-Yamuna region here, Priyanka targeted the centre and said like the three new farm laws, the laws applicable to rivers were for the benefit of industrialists rather than fishermen and boatmen.
Priyanka visited Baswar village to meet members of the Nishad community, who have alleged that they were recently beaten up and their boats damaged when a team of district administration and police took action against illegal sand miners in the area. Addressing locals, the Congress general secretary said, “Farmers are agitating against the unjust farm laws in the country and here you people were targeted.
All this is because the government has forgotten that it was your vote which has given them power to rule and now they have forgotten you (voters) and
instead are working for the welfare of industrialists, neglecting your welfare.”
Priyanka, while sympathising with the boatmen community members, especially women, assured them of fighting for their rights on sand mining and raising the issue in Parliament.
Priyanka further said: “Taking cover under the National Green Tribunal’s orders, the BJP government is providing benefit to mining mafiosi and big industrialists, who are exploiting the natural resources.”
On February 4, a team of officials, accompanied by heavy police force, had raided the ghats in Baswar and Mohabbatganj against illegal sand mining. The villagers later alleged that policemen assaulted them, including women, and damaged their boats. However, the police den ied the allegations and said persons involved in illegal mining pelted them with stones. An FIR was also lodged against locals in this connection. This was Priyanka’s second visit to Prayagraj in the last 10 days. She had visited Sangam and taken a dip in the holy water on Mauni
Amavsya on Feb 11.
Referring to her Ganga Yatra in 2019, she said “When I undertook the Ganga Yatra, I was informed how you people were earlier given lease of resources of the river so that you could earn your livelihood. Now, the present government has snatched away the rights of those who live near the rivers, affecting the livelihood of thousands of families..”
Only you people have the wisdom of how to earn your livelihood and also conserve natural resources at the same time because you have been doing this work for generations, she added. Congress legislature party leader Aradhana Mishra, who accompanied Priyanka along with party’s state president Ajay Kumar Lallu and senior party leader Pramod Tiwari, said the party would raise the issue in the state assembly.
Before leaving, Priyanka visited Kamla Nehru Memorial Hospital where she inaugurated a new ward and later made a brief stopover at Swaraj Bhavan, informed UPCC spokesperson Kishore Varshney.