People are feeling betrayed by PM Modi: Rahul Gandhi
Dhar (MP), Oct 30: Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleged on Tuesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "failed" to keep his electoral promise of ushering in "acche din" (good days) and people are feeling "betrayed" now.
Canvassing for the Congress in Dhar in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi also accused the prime minister of helping only select industrialists while neglecting farmers, tribals and youth of the country.
Gandhi said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wanted to create two types of Hindustan -- one for the rich and another for the poor.
"On the contrary, the Congress believes in one Hindusthan where if loan of rich people is waived similarly the debt of farmers will also be waived," he said.
The state BJP unit, however, said Gandhi was levelling "false and fabricated" allegations as the Modi government has done a lot for youth of the country by facilitating setting up of new factories and start-ups, while a number of schemes have been launched to help the poor and tribals.
In his speech, Gandhi said people of India, especially youths, had voted Modi to power by trusting him for the promises he had made.
The Congress chief began a two-day tour of the Malwa-Nimar region, a BJP stronghold, in the central Indian state, from Ujjain on Monday.
The Congress has been out of power in Madhya Pradesh since 2003 and is trying to make a comeback in the forthcoming assembly elections, scheduled to be held on November 28.
Gandhi said the Congress will waive loans of farmers in Madhya Pradesh within ten days if it is voted to power in the state.
"If new chief minister (of Congress) delays waiving loans of farmers even by one day (beyond the promised ten days), we will install a new chief minister," he said.
The Congress president also promised to set up food processing units near farms so that farmers could avail good price for their produce and their wards get employment.
Continuing his attack on the BJP government at the Centre, Gandhi said, "After coming to power, prime minister Narendra Modi failed to help tribals, youths, labourers and farmers, and instead helped only 10-15 industrialists like Anil Ambani, Nirav Modi, as a result of which people are feeling betrayed."
He said, "I wanted to ask you how many youths were given employment by Ambani and Nirav Modi. Life of how many farmers have they changed?"
While the BJP and the government have rejected these allegations, Gandhi has been accusing the Modi government of allowing liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who is facing loan default cases, as well as businessmen Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi flee the country. Besides, he has been alleging undue benefits in the Rafale deal to Anil Ambani's Reliance group, which has rejected the charges.
Nirav Modi and Choksi are accused in the alleged multi-crore PNB fraud.
"While he (Modi) has given Rs 35,000-40,000 crore to industrialists then why couldn't he give the money to you and your children for their education? What wrong have you done? (for not getting the monetary aid)?" Gandhi asked.
"Earlier Modiji used to say 'acche din aayenge' (good days will come) but now people are saying 'chowkidar chor hai'. This is the state of affairs of the country in just four years," he said.
BJP have strongly reacted to similar allegations made by Gandhi in the past and has accused him of using abusive language for the prime minister.
Reacting to Gandhi's speech, the state BJP spokesman Rahul Kothari said these he was levelling "false and fabricated" allegations on performance of the Modi government.
"The Modi government has done a lot for youths of the country by establishing new factories and start-ups. These steps have started yielding results," he said.
"The government has launched schemes like the 'Prime Minister Housing Scheme' and the 'Ujjwala Yojana' (for providing LPG connections to women of BPL families) for the poor and tribals in a big way to help them," he said.
Kothari also countered Gandhi on the issue of development.
"Rahul Gandhi only talks about setting up mobile phone manufacturing factories in his speeches, but the Modi government has taken the number of such units from just two to 120 after coming to power," Kothari said.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
