Congress backs urban Maoists, ruins tribals: PM
CHHATTISGARH Rahul Gandhi hits back, says Modi acts on behest of biz friends RAIPUR:The
election campaign in Chhattisgarh got its top campaigners on Friday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi addressing rallies in various parts of the tate, three days ahead of the first round of polling in the Maoist-affected Bastar region.
Elections to the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly will be held in two phases - on November 12 and November 20 - and counting of votes will take place on December 11.
Modi accused the Congress of backing ‘urban naxals’ and of eulogising Maoists as “revolutionary”.
“If the government acts against them, then you (Congress) try to save them (urban naxals),” Modi said.
He also took a dig at the Congress claiming that they call Maoists “revolutionary” but the same Maoists are involved in killing of Doordarshan cameraman Achutyanand Sahu. “He had come with a camera and not a gun…But shamefully the Congress calls them (Maoists) revolutionary,” he alleged.
Gandhi hit back accusing the Modi led Central government of ignoring tribals for sake of “10-15 top industrialists”. “In Delhi, Modi ji has 10-15 industrialists friends and similarly Chhattisgarh CM has 10-15 big businessmen friends. Modi ji and Singh never do any work until they take permission from these 10-15 friends,” Gandhi said.
He reiterated his allegations on Rafale fighter jet deal, Modi not fulfilling his poll promises on job creation and black money.
The two were also engaged in a war of words over development in Bastar.
Modi accused that the Congress for doing nothing for tribals when they were in power in unified Madhya Pradesh and claimed that no other Prime Minister visited Bastar as often as he did. “I have not come empty handed but given you some scheme and development programme. Previously there were resources but nothing happened,” he said.
Gandhi said that his grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi taught him to do politics for poor and weaker sections and claimed she was “connected to the tribals and Bengali people settled in Bastar.”
Congress spokesperson RP Singh said BJP’s desperation was showing in the PM’s speech while the BJP spokesperson Sacchinand Upasana said nobody takes Rahul Gandhi seriously.
Modi addressed an election rally in Rajnandgaon, the home district of chief minister Raman Singh, while Gandhi attended four events including one in Rajnandgoan.
The 2013 election was a close affair with the vote share difference between the ruling BJP and the Congress being less than one percentage point (0.75%). The BJP got 49 seats, the Congress 39 and one each went to Bahujan Samaj Party and an Independent.
This time round, the BSP is contesting in alliance with former chief minister Ajit Jogi’s Chhattisgarh Janata Congress.
Ashok Tomar, a political comentator from Raipur, felt that Rahul Gandhi had an edge in wooing tribal and farmer votes in Bastar. “Rahul’s campaign will definitely have an impact on voters in Bastar because it is Congress bastion,” he said
Urban Maoists, seated in AC rooms in cities ... through remote control, they ruin the lives of the tribal children here .... Those who ruin your life, should we forgive them?
NARENDRA MODI, Prime Minister