NEW DELHI — Congress on Tuesday dubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “certified liar” and slammed him for touting the grand old party of being anti-women saying that it was the veteran BJP leaders who had opposed the Women’s Reservation Bill in 1989.
Congress also said that BJP fielding union ministers and MPs in the assembly polls and also not announcing the name of the sitting Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan shows that they have already conceded defeat in the poll-bound state.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Pawan Khera said: “Yesterday (Monday) the Prime Minister was on a political election campaign tour of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. And in his 51 minutes speech in Madhya Pradesh he mentioned Congress for 44 times.”
Khera, who is also the chairman of the Media and Publicity Department of Congress said that it is surprising that the Prime Minister has to mention Congress for 44 times despite the fact that the BJP has been governing Madhya Pradesh for last 19 years.”
Khera said that it speaks the reality that the Prime Minister has nothing to say or tell about the achievements of his party government.
Hitting back at the Prime Minister for touting Congress of being anti-women, the Congress leader said: “He accuses Congress of being anti women. Women’s Reservation Bill was first brought by Rajiv Gandhi in 1989. That time in Rajya Sabha due to seven votes the Bill could not be passed and the BJP veteran leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani, Ram Jethmalani and Jashwant Singh were the people who opposed the Bill.”
Slamming the BJP government at the centre, Khera said that since 2014 the BJP has been in power in full majority. “Why did it waste over nine years and did not bring the Bill? And today when you brought then many are saying that it will take 10 years for its implementation.”
Attacking Modi, Khera said, “He is a certified liar. The Prime Minister is a certified liar. Never such was the status of any Prime Minister and we will never expect this for any other Prime Minister of the country.”
He also said that if Modi starts speaking truth a bit “he will be our best star campaigner.”
Khera also said that in the last 19 years in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress had its government for 19 months and when the Kamal Nath-led demanded Rs 800 crore for women related schemes it was denied by the central government as they had to poach its MLAs to form its government in the state.
“Even lockdown was delayed to poach our leaders, and this is the reality and mentality of the BJP,” he alleged.
He also questioned the government for not inviting President Drupadi Murmu for the inauguration of the new Parliament Building while celebrities were called for the event.
He also slammed the Prime Minister for attacking the Congress-led government in Rajasthan and said that he has forgotten that it was him who had praised the Ashok Gehlot-led government for its works during the Covid pandemic.
To a question, the BJP releasing its another list of candidates for the assembly polls, Khera said that it is their internal matter.
“However, what we did in Karnataka (announcing the candidates much before elections), they thought to repeat the same. They copied us but their own survey is showing that what is going to happen. Whosoever they want to field they will get the same results,” he said, referring to the assured victory of the party.
To another question that while the BJP has named three union ministers and seen MPs, the list does not include the name of former party leader Jyotiraditya Sciondia, Khera said, “If he is not fighting then he is postponing his defeat. Those who came after stealing the elected government in the state will be defeated in the election.”
To a question about Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Chouhan name yet not announced by the BJP for Madhya Pradesh assembly polls, he said: “If you are not taking the name of the sitting Chief Minister in your public meetings and not naming in the list him shows that they have already conceded defeat before the announcement of election results. But if you have decided that your Chief Minister is useless, then we cannot do anything.”
About the Enforcement Directorate (ED) searches in Rajasthan on the premises linked to minister Rajendra Yadav, he said: “Currently, temporary recruitment is being done in ED for Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram. The unemployed youth should apply for three month temporary posting. More such searches and raids will take place in the coming days.”
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday raided several locations linked to Rajendra Yadav, the Minister of State for Home in Rajasthan and his close associates. — IANS