Amit Shah in Amethi: ‘What have three generations of Gandhis done for Amethi?’

The CM with Shah and Smriti Irani in Amethi. (Express Photo/Vishal Srivastav)

Targeting Rahul Gandhi at his constituency Amethi, BJP national president Amit Shah on Tuesday asked him what have “three generations of his family” done for the development of Amethi. This comes a day after the Congress vice-president, while addressing a rally in Kheda district of Gujarat, asked a crowd: “What has happened to vikaas (development) in Gujarat?” Shah, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister Smriti Irani were in Amethi to launch and lay foundation stones of several projects. Speaking at a rally, Shah said that Rahul, during his ongoing tour of Gujarat, has been asking what has the BJP done for the state during its three-year rule at the Centre. “I asked you Rahulji from this land… you have been the MP for a long time… then why collectorate, TB hospital and FM Radio of Aakashvani have not been set up here? Why have poor not got houses?” he asked.

“Rahul baba… you ask what Modiji had done in three years.. yeh Amethi ki janata teen peedhi ka hisaab maangti hai aapse… teen peedhi tak aapne kya kiya? (People of Amethi want to know what have three generations of your family done for them?)” he asked.

Maintaining that there are two types of development models in the country — ‘Gandhi-Nehru Parivar’ and ‘Modi Model’ — Shah said that he has already said what the Gandhi-Nehru family has done till now. “The combination of Narendra Modi at the Centre and Yogi Adityanath in UP will develop Uttar Pardesh… and when the party will return to people to seek votes… under the leadership of Yogi, UP would already be a developed state like Gujarat,” he claimed.

Shah said the Modi government was working towards providing power in villages and water, houses and toilets to the poor. “Rahul baba… you answer… your parnani, parnana, naani, your father and mother… they had been in power… then why Modi has to do all that work?” he asked.

“The people of Gujarat know about the development of their state… Rahul baba, kabhi Amethi ko dekh lijiye… Amethi me aapne kya bantadhar kar ke rakha hai,” Shah said, adding that he has a list of 106 schemes that the Modi government had started. “Shayad Rahul ko yeh 106 ki ginti bhi nahi aati hai… isliye hamesha sawal poochte rehte hain ki aapne kya kiya (May be, Rahul does not know how to count to 106… that’s why he keeps on asking what has been done).”

“The people of Amethi have shown faith in one family for 60 years… in the next elections, they should rely on BJP and Modi… There should be a change in Amethi… When BJP will seek votes in 2019, its leaders will not say what should be done but what have been done,” he added.

Shah said that while Amethi is known across the world because it is the home turf of the Gandhi-Nehru family, no development has taken place when all important posts — from the panchayat to Parliament — was with the Gandhi family for 70 years.

Praising Irani, who had lost to Rahul in Amethi in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Shah said: “BJP had won four of the five Assembly seats because Irani has been visiting Amethi and working for the people even after losing in 2014.”

In her address, Irani alleged that the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation had not returned land taken from farmers to build ‘Samrat’ cycle manufacturing factory in Amethi.

While addressing the rally, which was held on the ground adjacent to Samrat Cycle factory, Irani said: “Farmers of Amethi had given their land to the state government for a factory and were assured that a factory will be set up and people will get employment… When the factory was closed down, the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation took over this land. Rahul heads the foundation. There is an existing order to return this land to the state government and Rahul’s possessions be removed. But Rahul has not returned the land to the farmers.”

To this, Adityanath added: “Is Samrat Cycle ke naam par zameen ko Rajiv Gandhi Foundation ke naam par hadapne ki jo sazishein ho rahi hain… yeh sazish hum pura nahin hone denge… yeh purane sanskar hain… kahin par damaad zameen hadpe aur kahin par putra hi zameen hadapne ke karya kare… yeh UP ke andar to nahi chal payega… yeh nahin hadapne diya jayega (In the name of Samrat Cycle, a conspiracy is being hatched to usurp land in the name of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation… we will not allow this… this is old tradition… somewhere a son in-law and somewhere a son tries to usurp land… this won’t be allowed in UP).”

He added that farmers’ land will be either used for industry or be returned. “Isko hum kisi foundation ya kisi parivar ki bapauti nahin banne denge (We won’t allow it to become the legacy of any family or foundation),” he said.

“Rahul planned his three-day tour to Amethi after Smriti Irani decided to hold the programme here today. They do not have love for India. They do not have interest in development and they are not concerned for poor,” Adityanath said.