New Delhi, Aug 5 (Agencies) : The Congress today accused the BJP-led NDA government of acting with a feeling of ‘political vendetta’ and charged it with closing down all Central schemes in Raebareli and Amethi, the constituencies of Conrgess president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
Speaking during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the BJP-led NDA government was slowly closing down and stalling various Central projects and schemes announced in Amethi and Raebareli by the previous UPA government. Saying that the previous UPA regime never acted with a feeling of political vendetta against their opponents, Mr Azad said the present government had been closing down various projects in the constituencies of the two Congress members.
“We can differ in our views but we should not be acting with a feeling of political vendetta. The previous UPA government, under the Prime Ministership of Manmohan Singh, had never acted with the feeling of revenge towards the members of the Opposition party and provided all possible help for various central projects in their constituencies. “However, the present government has been acting with a feeling of political vendetta.
In the constituencies of Ms Sonia Gandhi and Mr Rahul Gandhi, so many projects started by the previous UPA government have been closed down making one wonder as why so many of these projects have closed down. For example, in Amethi a cancer centre announced by the previous UPA government is in doldrums.
The land for the centre is yet to be allocated. It is really unfortunate that the government is acting with a feeling of revenge towards the constituencies of the leader of the principal opposition party,’’ Mr Azad said. Earlier, Pramod Tiwari of the Congress said a Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Information Technology in Amethi has been closed down by the present government. “In the last two years, several Central projects like food park and Handipur Paper Mill have been closed down.
It is a reflection of the petty politics of the BJP government that schemes in the constituencies of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi are being closed down,’’ he said. Associating with his party colleague, Mr Rajiv Shukla of the Congress said the UPA government had promised setting up of an AIIMS and food park at Amethi but the projects were being stalled. “Why is this government acting with a feeling of vendetta?’’ he asked.
Refuting the charge by the members, Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said the government was not acting with a revenge feeling. “I can assure that there is no question of taking revenge.’’ Stating that the decision to shut down the food park in Amethi was taken by the previous UPA government.
About other projects, he said he would convey the members’ concerns to the ministers concerned. ‘’I will convey the concern of the members to the concerned minister. Let us not score any political points,’’ he said.