ATMs still empty: Jyotiraditya Scindia

Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia campaigned for party candidates in Belagavi district on Thursday and Friday.

He addressed rallies in Khanapur, Sambra, Nippani and Belagavi north constituencies that have a sizeable Marathi speaking population. The young leader did not forget to mention he hailed from the Maratha Kshatriya clan of Satara district that borders Belagavi. “I am proud of my heritage,” he said at a rally in Sambra.

At a rally to seek votes for Kakasaheb Patil in Nippani on Friday, he asked the people to teach a lesson to parties and leaders who take them for granted.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is heading a government that snatched hard earned money from the hands of the poor, only to protect the rich during demonetisation. Despite causing such unprecedented economic destruction, the Prime Minister refuses to see that it was a failure. On the contrary, he is defending the move. The jolt we suffered has still not been set right. ATMs are still empty,’’ he said. He asked the people to reject the BJP that “divided people on the basis of caste and religion and fanned violence.”

At a rally in Azam Nagar on Thursday, he chided Mr. Modi for his use of the term “two plus one,” by terming it as “two Reddys and one Yeddy.”

Addressing a rally for party candidate Firoz Sait, Mr. Scindia asked the people to use ‘votebandi’ against the ‘notebandi’ brought in by the BJP. “The BJP has changed the expansion of ATM from ‘any time money’ to ‘ayega tabhi to milega’. That is why you see cashless ATMs,’’ he said.

“What is BJP’s new India model? It is a model where women are raped, farmers commit suicide and youth are unemployed. It is a country where the media is threatened, economy is destroyed, and the poor are helpless. Is this the model we need?,” he questioned.

“This is not just an election for Karnataka, it is an important milestone in India’s politics. It is a pointer to the country’s politics in future,” he said. “The Congress government believes in doing, unlike the BJP that is immersed in slogans,” he added.