Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday promised to raise the benefit of Centre's Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme from Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000 a year for Haryana farmers if his party is voted back to power in the October 5 state assembly polls.
The senior BJP leader also trained his guns on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, asking if he knew the full form of MSP as he underlined that the BJP government in Haryana was procuring 24 crops at the minimum support price.
Shah, who addressed rallies in Rewari, Ambala and Kurukshetra districts, promised to raise the free medical treatment limit of Rs 5 lakh under the Ayushman Bharat scheme also to Rs 10 lakh for the beneficiaries of poll-bound Haryana. He claimed the BJP will return to power in Haryana for the third time.
He attacked the Congress on the issue of corruption, reservation and over Article 370, saying the party wants to bring it back in Jammu and Kashmir.
While slamming the Congress on farmers' issue, Shah said some NGO has told Rahul 'baba' that by saying MSP (minimum support price) he will get votes.
"Rahul baba, do you know full form of MSP? Which crop is of Kharif, which one is of Rabi, do you know," he asked.
Further targeting Gandhi on farmers and Agniveer issues, he dubbed Congress leader as "jhooth ki factory".
Shah said the BJP government in Haryana procures 24 crops at MSP and added, "Let Congress leaders in Haryana tell which Congress-ruled state procures as many crops." "Today I want to say, you (voters) form the BJP government. At present farmers are getting Rs 6,000. We will raise it to Rs 10,000 every year," Shah said while referring to the Centre's Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme.
Under the Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme, an income support of Rs 6,000 per year is provided to all farmer families across the country in three equal installments.
"Under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, free medical treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh is being provided. You bring back the BJP government, the amount will be raised from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh," Shah said.
During Congress rule, paddy was procured at Rs 1,310 per quintal, now it is Rs 2,300 and if you elect BJP government in Haryana, we will procure paddy at Rs 3,100 (per quintal), he said.
Bajra, wheat and paddy MSP had seen a hike during the BJP led government, he said.
"...Farmer brothers, don't get trapped in Rahul baba's 'jhoot ki factory (factory of lies). Whatever you (farmers) have to sow on your land, whatever you grow, BJP government will procure at MSP," he said.
Shah also said that Congress leaders keep talking about farmers, but it is the Modi government which procured double the quantity of paddy and wheat than the previous UPA while substantial hike was made in MSP.
He challenged Congress leader Bhupinder Hooda to tell farmers if his erstwhile government purchased any crop at a MSP more than that of the BJP government.
"You speak lies. You have governments in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, Kejriwal's (AAP) government is in Punjab, it is the Modi government which is buying wheat and paddy. What your state governments are buying. They don't buy bajra, maize or ragi...if 24 crops are procured, it is the BJP government in Haryana," he asked.
Referring to Congress MP and Dalit leader Kumari Selja, Shah said a journalist asked her if she would campaign for Bhupinder Singh Hooda. "She said she wanted to go but he will not invite her. Even today Hooda has a mentality that if he calls a Dalit sister for a poll campaign, he will lose the election." Shah said it was the Narendra Modi government which fulfilled the long pending demand of One Rank One Pension.
He said the BJP undertook equitable development in Haryana and corruption has finished in the last 10 years.
"Congress governments used to run on the basis of cut, commission and corruption while dealers, dalals (middlemen) and 'damads' used to rule. During Hooda's time '3 Ds had great importance. One dealer, one dalal (middleman) and the third one 'delhi k damad'. These 3 Ds used to run government. But BJP finished corruption from Haryana.
"Under BJP government, there are no dealers, 'dalals' while there is no question of 'damad'," the senior BJP leader said.
On OROP, he said, "from Indira Gandhi to Sonia Gandhi, Congress did not fulfill the demand of one rank one pension, but you made Modi prime minister and he gave OROP in 2015." "Congress always insults Army. It is the Congress which had the audacity to call Army chief a 'goonda'. Congress never respected Army," he alleged.
Lashing out at Rahul Gandhi over the issue of Agnipath scheme, Shah said, "Rahul Baba is a jhooth ki factory, he says that Agniveer will not get jobs." They are spreading misconception that those Agniveers who will not be absorbed will be left like that, he said attacking Congress and promised, "not even one Agniveer (who will not be absorbed in the force) will be without pensionable job." "Rahul Baba has no other work than to spread rumour," he said, in an obvious reference to Congress raking up the Agniveer issue.
On the issue of Article 370, Shah alleged the Congress wanted to bring it back.
Kashmir is our own and nobody can dare look at it, he added.
In his earlier rallies too in Haryana for next month's polls, Shah has been attacking Congress over Article 370 issue.
"They say that they will release all terrorists and stone-pelters from jail. 'Kya mazaak bana rakha hai'. 40,000 people were killed in Jammu and Kashmir. Our army men were martyred. And you will release them (terrorists)? Rahul Baba, if you have guts, then say this in Haryana, he said.
Shah said, "Along with the National Conference, he says, not tricolour, but some other flag will be unfurled at Kashmir. Rahul Baba that time has gone. It is the rule of Modi ji and only tricolor will be hoisted in Kashmir," he said.
Referring to Gandhi's recent US visit, Shah said, "They accuse us of ending reservation and he (Rahul) spoke in English there (in US) that they will end reservation." "How will you do it? It is our government. As long as there is even one BJP MP in Parliament, reservation of Dalits and backward people cannot end," asserted Shah.
Gandhi during his interaction with students of Georgetown University in the US had told them that the Congress would think of scrapping reservations when "India is a fair place", which he said is not the case right now.
He alleged that the Congress cannot undertake equitable development in Haryana.
Whenever Congress wins, development takes place only in a few districts, while there is "injustice" with the Ahirwal belt, he claimed.
He also said it was Modi who ended 'parivarvad' and appeasement in the country.
Shah praised Chief Minister Nayab Saini for his humility and said his government is committed to welfare of poor, Dalits, backward, farmers, women and other sections and in just six-months of his tenure so far he has done so many works which Congress could not do in 10 years.
"When it was decided to make him chief minister, we had to persuade him. He used to say he is working for party organisation. You are lucky to have such a noble person. A person who was born in a poor family, he understands the pain of poor," Shah said about Saini.
He attacked the previous Congress government over the issue of the 2005 Gohana and 2010 Mirchpur incidents, saying Dalits could not forget them.
Reservation in jobs was not implemented during the Congress regime, he alleged and added that when one chief minister assumed office, "corruption increased" while "goondaism" increased during another's tenure.
"... Even one chief minister had to go to jail for corruption in jobs," said Shah.
He said the BJP government will set up a textile park and ready-made industrial unit in Ambala.
Shahzadpur sugarmill will be revived, he said, adding that a Vishwavkarma university will be set up.
An ICU will also be set up in Civil Hospital, he said.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.