Raigarh, Feb 8:
Taking swipes at the proposed grand alliance of opposition parties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday asked people to be wary of this “mahamilavat” (highly adulterated) coalition. The new Congress government has barred the CBI from taking up fresh cases in Chhattisgarh because the Congress wants to use the state as “ATM” for coming elections, Modi alleged at a rally at Kodatarai in Raigarh district. It was his first rally in Chhattisgarh after the BJP lost power in the state last year. “The first thing they (Congress government) have done is to pull out of Ayushman Bharat scheme and the other is to ban the CBI from conducting probe in the state,” he said. “If the poor are getting benefit of the health scheme and availing free treatment worth Rs 5 lakh every year, how will it harm you (the Congress government)? You need not give anything (for the scheme),” he said. “Actually, the Congress is weighed under the favours of ‘bichauliye (middlemen). The Congress `sultanate’ right from Raipur to Delhi flourished under the favours of a strong mechanism of `dalals’ (agents) and `bichauliye’,” he said. While the Ayushman Bharat scheme does not allow addition of bogus beneficiaries and the money is transferred directly to hospitals, “Congress cannot accept any scheme where middlemen and agents are not involved”, Modi said. How could those who were addicted to corruption and were waiting for power for 15 years continue such a “solid and transparent” scheme, he said. On the decision of barring CBI, Modi said, “If someone has not done anything (wrong), then will he be afraid of investigation? Can any agency conduct inquiry without any reason?” The Congress did not want CBI in the state because “for the next election, they wanted to make Chhattisgarh an ATM of Congress party,” the prime minister alleged, adding, “Because they have to send maal (money)…to Delhi and therefore arrangements are being made here.”
Every member of the Gandhi family is facing serious cases and some of them are on bail or have got anticipatory bail, Modi said, targeting the top Congress leadership.
“What are the cases? tax evasion, scam in land and property. Amid their bid to escape the law, the `Chowkidar’ is alert. He is unearthing their every secret,” Modi said.
“Their `raazdar (keeper of secrets) and uncles are being extradited and handed over to probe agencies. They are frustrated due to the stern action of Chowkidar,” he added.
The attempts to build a `maha-gathbandhan’ against the BJP was “maha-milavat” (highly adulterated), he said.
“Those who had once pulled out from Congress are now attempting to build “milavat”. There is only one criterion for entry…one who can abuse Modi more, will be preferred,” he said.
“They don’t have any plan for the country’s future and so these `milavati’ (adulterated) people have made Modi an issue…You should be aware of these people,” he said.
On the loan waiver announced by Congress government in the state, Modi alleged that it cheated farmers, as the loans of only those who had borrowed money from cooperative and rural banks were waived, but not loans taken from nationalised banks or private moneylenders and relatives.
For electoral gains, the Congress comes up with the promise of loan waiver every ten years, he said. “In 2009, they played the game of loan waiver and now in 2019 they are doing the same,” he said, adding it benefits only middlemen.
His government’s Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme (announced in the Union Budget) will benefit more than 90 out of 100 farmers in every village, he said.
Under the Congress’ loan waiver, only Rs 50,000 crore reaches some farmers “every 10 years”, but under the Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, it is estimated that Rs 7.5 lakh crore would be deposited in farmers’ accounts in next ten years, Modi said.
