Solan/Keylong/ Panchrukhi, October 25
All-India Congress Committee general secretary Rahul Gandhi today alleged the BJP government in Himachal had exploited the poor by selling their land to the rich.
He said the Congress government’s attempts at the Centre to save the poor from such exploitation had been thwarted as the BJP had been objecting to the Land Acquisition Bill.
Addressing a rally in Solan this evening, Rahul dwelt on issues such as objections raised by the BJP to introduction of the Food Security Bill and retail FDI in his 15-minute speech. The decision on FDI would benefit horticulturists and mushroom growers, he said.
Rahul said the UPA government had introduced the RTI Act, which was a potent weapon to fight corruption. “Our commitment to fight corruption is clear from the fact that we have sent our own corrupt ministers to jail,” he said.
He said the Food Security Bill would benefit the poor, but the BJP was opposed to
it.
Addressing a gathering in Keylong, Rahul said the BJP government in the state was “anti-tribal, anti-common man, corrupt and it always tried to divide the people”.
He invoked Gandhi-Nehru legacy in the tribal belt to attract voters. He said the state government had cut down the tribal sub-plan from 9 per cent to 8.5 per cent. It has given just Rs 2.5 crore out of Rs 500 crore MNREGA funds and Rs 35 lakh out of Rs 600 crore under the National Rural Health Mission to the Lahaul-Spiti region, he said.
“We have brought MNREGA to give the poor assured employment. On the other hand, the BJP had been always trying to divide the people and indulged in corruption,” he alleged.
At Panchrukhi in Dharamsala, the AICC general secretary said the Congress had opened the doors for the youth and women to join politics. Only the youth can build future of the country. The Congress is the first political party that has given sizable representation to youth in politics, he said.
