Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday told voters in Assam he was not like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who “lies to India 24/7”.
Addressing an election rally at Chaygaon constituency in Kamrup district, Rahul said: “I haven’t come here to lie to you. My name is not Narendra Modi. If you wish to hear him lie about Assam, farmers or any other issue, switch on the television. He lies to India 24/7. If you want to listen to the truth, hear me out.”
The Congress had waived farm loans within six hours of assuming power in Chhattisgarh, as it had promised before the elections, he said.
The former UPA government led by the Congresshad waived Rs 70,000 crore in agricultural loans on therequest of farmers, headded.
“People from different languages, ethnicities and ideologies are peacefully listening to me. This is Assam. But the BJP makes one brother fight another and spreads hatred. They give tea garden contracts to outsiders.
“Assam will elect its own chief minister when the Congress comes to power. The state won’t be governed by Nagpur (RSS headquarters) or Delhi,” he said.
Rahul said the Congress had made its poll promise of five guarantees in consultation with tea garden workers, youth and women.
Referring to Dipanjal Das, an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protester from Chaygaon who was killed in police firing in Guwahati during in December 2019, Rahul said: “Dipanjal had stood peacefully for Assam but the RSS-BJP shot him dead. For what he sacrificed his life, we will never allow that (CAA) to be implemented.”
At another rally in Barkhetri constituency in Nalbari district, Rahul alleged that Modi had dried up employment avenues, particularly in Assam, through demonetisation and imposition of the GST and other taxes.
“Modi has finished all employment avenues and handed over your airports, tea gardens and even oil to his two-three industrialist friends,” he said.
Voting in 39 Assembly constituencies will be held in the second phase on Thursday. Forty seats will go to polls in the third and last phase on April 6.
Around 79.97 per cent of 81.09 lakh voters had exercised their franchise in the first phase of voting in 47 seats on March 27.
