Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday challenged the veracity of the concept of “double-engine government” that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hyped up to ensure the BJP’s success in the states, drawing attention to multiple instances of alleged scams and misdeeds in Madhya Pradesh.
Addressing a public rally in tribal-dominated Shahdol, the Congress leader recalled that L.K. Advani had described Madhya Pradesh, not Gujarat, as the true RSS-BJP laboratory, and went on to explain what that meant. Giving examples, Rahul tried to convey the message that the RSS-BJP laboratory churned out corruption, injustice, insensitivity and lack of accountability.
Rahul listed the following instances of alleged corruption in Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP has been in power for 20 years except for a brief period when the Congress was at the helm:
• Money is stolen here by treating the dead (the alleged scam in the Ayushman Bharat project)
• Lord Shiva’s name is used here to loot money (the Mahakal corridor project)
• Funds for midday meal and school uniforms are siphoned off
• The future of one crore youths is destroyed by the Vyapam examination and recruitment scam in which 40 people have been killed
• MBBS seats are sold and bribes of Rs 15 lakh are sought for becoming a patwari
• 18,000 farmers committed suicide here in 18 years; three every day.
• In Mandsaur, police fire at farmers; GST is imposed on agricultural equipment and pesticide
• Women are raped every day; a boy is killed in front of the police in Bhopal when he tries to save his sister from rapists
• Gas cylinders are sold for Rs 1,100 each; privatisation is the norm here
• A BJP leader urinated on an Adivasi
• Rotten food grains, unfit even for animals, are given to Adivasis to eat.
This is the truth of the RSS-BJP laboratory, Rahul said, explaining how the BJP governments had diluted the Forest Rights Act and the PESA (Panchayat Extension of Scheduled Areas) Act instead of protecting the rights of tribals.
“Your right on jal, jungle and zameen can’t be violated. We made the law that forest land can’t be taken without the consent of the gram sabhas. But they scrapped this provision. Around 4.5 lakh land pattas have been rejected by the BJP government. They snatched your land by force, using violence”, he said.
Moving to his pet theme of caste census, Rahul said: “Do you know only 5 per cent of the budget is controlled by OBC officers in the central government? Barely Rs 5 out of Rs 100 spent by the Centre is in the control of OBC officers.”
Rahul added: “How much money is under the control of Adivasi officers? No, not one rupee. Not 50 paisa. It is a matter of shame, only 10 paisa. There can’t be a greater insult of the Adivasi community. That’s why we are demanding a caste census, to ensure adequate representation of SCs, STs and OBCs.”
The Congress leader has been dwelling on substantive issues instead of indulging in political rhetoric. While exposing the hollowness of the double-engine slogan, Rahul has also been trying to corner the Prime Minister on the question of social justice. “Our governments in Karnataka, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have started work on a caste census. In Madhya Pradesh, we will start it as soon as our government comes,” he said.
The Congress leader ended his speech by listing the promises made by the party. “I have told Kamal Nath and Randeep Surjewala (general secretary in charge of Madhya Pradesh), make only those promises which can be fulfilled. Don’t waste time on false promises like Modi does. If our government comes, every woman will get Rs 1,500 a month, a gas cylinder for Rs 500, 100 units of free electricity, and the tendu patta rate will be increased to Rs 4,000,” Rahul said.
