Bengaluru. Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks related to Mangalsutra and said that her mother Sonia Gandhi’s Mangalsutra was sacrificed for the country. Priyanka also said in an election rally in Bengaluru that if the Prime Minister had understood the importance of Mangalsutra, he would not have said such things.
Addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi had said that Congress plans to give people’s hard-earned money and property to ‘infiltrators’ and people having more children. PM Modi had said, ‘This urban Naxal thinking…. My mothers and sisters…they will not let even your mangalsutra escape. Will go to this extent.
‘Inflation has mortgaged the mangalsutras of so many people’
Priyanka Gandhi said, ‘If the Prime Minister had understood the importance of Mangalsutra, he would not have said such things.. Has Congress snatched anyone’s gold or Mangalsutra in 55 years? When the country was fighting a war, Indira ji had given her jewelery to the country. My mother’s Mangalsutra was sacrificed for this country. He said, ‘Where was the Prime Minister when my sisters had to mortgage their mangalsutras due to demonetization? Where is the Prime Minister when a debt-ridden farmer’s wife has to sell her mangalsutra? Why did the Prime Minister not say anything about the woman from Manipur who was paraded naked? Inflation has mortgaged the mangalsutras of so many people today.
‘PM Modi is saying such things to divert attention’
According to news agency PTI, in a special conversation on the sidelines of the public meeting, Priyanka said that the Prime Minister is saying such things to divert attention. He said, ‘They (BJP) are talking about everything, but are silent on the issues that people are facing. There are a lot of issues, be it farmers, students, youth looking for jobs, women looking for help, there are a lot of big issues. Attention should be focused on these issues.
Priyanka said, ‘Such issues have always been raised so that people’s attention gets diverted and their emotions flare up and then they vote emotionally instead of intelligently.’ The Congress General Secretary claimed, ‘When he (Prime Minister) has no issue left, he is now talking here and there to divert.’ He said, ‘The Congress manifesto talks about empowering women by giving them Rs 1 lakh, talks about waiving off loans of students, loan waiver of farmers and guarantee of MSP. Talks about filling 30 lakh government posts. He said, ‘Prime Minister please tell why he is silent on these issues? I challenge them to fight an election on issues.
‘The biggest leaders are doing drama by abandoning morality’
Earlier, while addressing a gathering in Chitradurga, Karnataka, Priyanka Gandhi said, ‘There was a time when a leader stood in the country, the countrymen expected from him that he would be a moral person. Today, the country’s ‘biggest leaders’ leave aside morality and perform in front of you. He said, ‘There was a time when we expected our leaders to follow the path of truth. Today the biggest leaders of the country come out to show their power, show their pride, their fame, but do not follow the path of truth.
Priyanka said there was a time when leaders were philanthropic and service-oriented but now people see only ego in the ‘country’s biggest leader’. The Congress leader underlined that following the path of truth and serving the country with the spirit of serving others has been a Hindu tradition as well as a political tradition. He said that all the previous Prime Ministers, irrespective of which party they belonged to, worked with dedication for the people of the country.
‘Lies dominate in Narendra Modi’s government’
The Congress leader alleged, ‘But today lies are dominant in Narendra Modi’s government, when he topples governments through unfair means, the media calls it ‘Modi’s masterstroke’.’ Regarding the now defunct electoral bond scheme, he claimed that the companies which were raided had donated to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and then the cases against them were closed. He alleged, ‘It has now become clear how black money was converted into white through demonetisation and then deposited in the BJP’s account.’
Priyanka said that it is surprising how companies which were unable to earn even Rs 100 crore, donated Rs 1,100 crore to the BJP (under the electoral bond scheme). He said, ‘The opposition is targeted by calling it corrupt but the reality is that the BJP is corrupt and has misled the country in the last 10 years.’
Recalling the statement of a BJP leader regarding changing the Constitution, the Congress General Secretary asked people to be cautious. He said, ‘You should listen carefully to those who talk about changing the Constitution because it will have a direct impact on your life.’
Priyanka said that BJP leaders never talk about reducing inflation, employment, education and health facilities, rather they only speak ‘provocative and distracting things and the media bows down before them.’
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Tags: Loksabha Election 2024, Loksabha Elections, Narendra modi, Priyanka Gandhi
FIRST PUBLISHED: April 24, 2024, 06:32 IST