It was then BJP govt which released Masood Azhar: Rahul Gandhi

HAVERI: Holding the BJP directly responsible for Pulwama terror attack, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said if the BJP government led by late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had not released the Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar, the terror attack would not have happened.

Addressing a strong audience of over 75,000 at his maiden poll rally at Haveri’s municipal grounds here on Saturday, Congress chief launched a scathing attack on BJP over Pulwama terror attack. He said BJP was responsible for Pulwama attack, it was the BJP who released the terrorist after Kandahar hijacking episode.

Gandhi said his party would never bow before the terrorists and has the capacity to deal with terrorism. “Prime Minister Modi has forgotten that it was his party when it was in power had released the most wanted terrorist, he should explain it to the nation,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi in his 46-minute long speech highlighted the failure of NDA government led by Prime Minister Modi, he accused him of dividing the nation into two parts, one is for rich and affluent and another one was for poor, dalits, women, downtrodden, who are being neglected in second India. He promised ‘ek Hindustan’, by cleaning the line between two India.
He promised that if the Congress forms the next government in the centre, he would implement a minimum income guarantee scheme for poor. The model was announced in Chhattisgarh already, he said.

Under the scheme, poor would get minimum income directly to their accounts. The BJP has stolen the money from poor, taxpayers and middle class and offered it to Anil Ambani, Adani, Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Vijay Mallya and others. BJP helped the thieves but the Congress would help the poor, he promised.

He also assured that Congress would first implement Women Reservation Bill if voted to power. “Women should be involved in major decision making; they are required in the prime elected representative bodies. The Congress party would provide you with that opportunity,” he said.

Rahul said if the Congress voted to power, they would make the Goods and Service Tax (GST) into more simple by bringing rigorous reforms into it. “ I know the pain of the small vendors, small and medium entrepreneurs who went through lots of hardship because of this ‘Gabbar Singh Tax’ and demonetisation implemented by this government,” he said.

Touching upon Rafale issue, Rahul questioned why Modi is not answering the nation as to why Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence was selected as a partner instead of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Modi facilitated loot around Rs 35,000 crore in Rafale deal by making Ambani as a partner in the deal.

Gandhi announced that Congress and JDS would fight together to take on BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election. He said the decision was in the better interest of the nation.