PM: Previous govts spoke of poor but didn’t work for their welfare; MP has uplifted them

In a veiled attack on the previous Congress-led governments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused them of indulging in hypocrisy and said they chanted the word “poor” many times each day but did not work for their welfare.

In a video interaction with Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) beneficiaries from Madhya Pradesh, he also praised the state government under Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, saying that the state has left behind its earlier image of a “beemaru rajya (sick state)”.

Modi accused the previous government of keeping the poor and villagers away from basic amenities such as roads, electricity, housing, cooking fuel, banking etc. He said, “They used to speak the word poor hundreds of times a day. They recited the word poor like a song, but did not adopt their welfare in practice. Such acts are called ‘pakhand’ (hypocrisy). They did not give these facilities to the poor but used to express false sympathy.”

Modi was presiding over the ‘Anna Utsav’ organised by the MP government to distribute additional 5 kg free ration to 1.15 crore families as part of PMGKAY.

He spoke to four beneficiaries from the state: Rajendra Sharma, an autorickshaw driver from Burhanpur; Dilip Kori from Satna; Chandra Badan Vishwakarma from Niwari; and Maya Dhurve from Hoshangabad.

The four were among 1.15 crore families from across the state who were given 5 kg additional wheat and rice through 25,453 fair price shops in MP. People in the list of beneficiaries in flood-hit districts of Gwalior-Chambal region would be given an additional 50 kg ration per family, apart from 5 kg wheat and rice, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced on Friday.

Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives and livelihood of those affected by rain and flood in the Gwalior-Chambal region and assured them of all help by the Centre.

Speaking about development of the state under Chouhan, the Prime Minister said: “I remember the condition of roads in MP — the state was infamous for its scams. But today, MP’s cities are touching new heights of cleanliness and development. If government schemes today are being implemented on ground, it is due to the change in governance.”

Pointing out that August 7 also marked the beginning of Swadeshi movement in 1905, Modi urged people to purchase handicraft from local shops and promote handloom, and warned them against letting down their guard against Covid-19.