Bihar, Oct 7 (Agencies): Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not keeping his promises to voters made ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday the NDA government was working only for the “rich”.
Gandhi said the poor and weaker sections in the country continued to suffer during the Modi government’s rule.
“A year ago, Narendra Modi-ji won the elections and you all are aware of the promises he made. He had made several promises, including of bringing back black money and depositing Rs 15 lakh in every Indian’s bank account, employment for youth hiking minimum support prices for the farmer’s produce.
“Please tell me, is there any one person out here who has Rs 15 lakh in his account?... he has not fulfilled even one promise,” Gandhi said at an election rally in Bihar’s Sheikhpura district. Modi has only supported his corporate friends, Gandhi alleged.
Gandhi said while farmers were committing suicides in Punjab, Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the “Prime Minister has kept quiet over the issue of compensation to distressed farmers”.
Taking a jibe at the PM over his frequent foreign tours, Gandhi said Modi has been going on world tours, but he had not seen him stand even once with a farmer or an unemployed youth.
Expressing confidence about the Grand Alliance of JD(U), RJD and Congress winning the upcoming Bihar polls led by chief minister Nitish Kumar, Gandhi said: “We will be with you, be seen with you and fight with you.”
The Gandhi scion also questioned the timing of the move by Modi to announce a Rs-1.25 lakh crore special package for Bihar when assembly polls were around the corner.
Gandhi said Modi maintains silence when anything goes wrong. “Modi ji had said he will neither take bribe nor allow anyone else to do the same. Some days ago, I raised this issue in the Parliament. I mentioned how Sushma Swaraj helped (former IPL boss) Lalit Modi and the Rajasthan Chief Minister?s son took money from Lalit Modi. I spoke about the Vyapam scam. But Modi ji said nothing,” he said.
The Congress has joined hands with the RJD and JD (U) in Bihar. Elections for the 243-member Bihar Assembly will be held in five phases between October 12 and November 5. The counting of votes will take place on November 8.
The term of the current Bihar State Assembly expires on November 29.