Modi is the biggest liar as PM: Navjot Singh Sidhu
Ahmedabad: In a pointed attack on Narendra Modi in his home state, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu Tuesday said the land of Gujarat, which is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, has also produced a prime minister who is the "biggest liar".
Addressing a rally in Dang district while canvassing for Congress' Valsad Lok Sabha nominee Jitu Chaudhary, Sidhu said the prime minister works only for the wealthy people.
"I am surprised because the very land (of Gujarat) which gave us Mahatma Gandhi has also produced a prime minister who is the biggest liar," the Congress leader said.
He also termed Modi as "Jhootha No.1' and 'Feku No.1".
Sidhu, who is a minister in the Congress government of Punjab, said Modi represents only affluent people and not the poor.
"Modiji, you are the PM of only one per cent wealthy people. You are not the PM of poor citizens. You are asking these locals to vacate their land and go elsewhere. Almost 80 per cent of locals of this region are working as labourers in other states," the Congress leader told the audience, most of them tribals.
Sidhu said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi would immediately grant a loan waiver for Gujarat farmers after coming to power.
The former BJP leader also accused Modi of not keeping his promise of generating two crore jobs every year.
"You promised two crore jobs every year (in the run-up to 2014 elections). But, only 8 lakh people got jobs in your tenure. Though China's GDP is 6 per cent, they gave jobs to 70 lakh people in five years. While India's GDP is 8 per cent, we could create only 8 lakh jobs," said Sidhu.
He also claimed that even state-run HAL, BSNL and MTNL are retrenching their employees.
"There is a backlog of 25 lakh posts in the government sector. I want to tell you that Rahul Gandhi will fill up these 25 lakh vacant posts," he added.
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Min. Priyank Kharge to expresses concern over implementation of VB-G Ram G
Bengaluru: Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Priyank Kharge has expressed concern over the uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the proposed VB-G Ram G scheme, stating that the MNREGA programme, which has been a lifeline for rural India for nearly two decades, appears to be facing an uncertain future.
Speaking to media, Kharge said that as March 31 draws to a close, there is no clarity on the rollout of the new scheme from April 1. He pointed out that the central government has not yet issued the necessary guidelines for implementing the scheme for rural workers and villages.
He criticised the Centre for its lack of preparedness, stating that there is no clarity on fund allocation, no final parameters for classifying gram panchayats, and key processes such as social audits have not been defined.
Kharge said the situation comes at a critical time, as summer marks a peak period for rural employment demand, when many people depend heavily on wage employment for their livelihood.
He added that reports have emerged of delays in approvals and families not receiving work despite demand.
He further alleged that the Centre’s move to shift from a statutory employment guarantee to a rule-based allocation system is already showing negative consequences.
Kharge also raised concerns over provisions such as a mandatory 60-day halt during agricultural seasons, which he said would further limit employment opportunities for rural workers.
The BJP-led central government had claimed that the new scheme would transform rural India, but in reality it is turning out to be detrimental to people’s livelihoods, he said.
“The crisis in rural India due to the stalling of MNREGA is beginning to unfold. Given the Centre’s past record in handling such situations, there is growing concern over the impact on rural livelihoods,” Kharge said.
