Rahul in Raipur: BJP leading India on path of danger, pitting one state against another

Addressing a function at Science College in the Chhattisgarh capital, Rahul said BJP’s criticism of what the country has achieved in 70 years under successive Congress governments is an insult to its farmers and labourers, and not of his party.

During his visit, Rahul launched the state government’s ambitious “Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Bhoomihin Krishi Majdoor Nyay Yojana” scheme, under which landless labourers in rural areas will get financial assistance of Rs 6,000 per year in three instalments, and ‘Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club Scheme’.

He also attended an event to lay foundation stone of the proposed ‘Sevagram’ and ‘Chhattisgarh Amar Jawan Jyoti’ in Naya Raipur.

“Yesterday, I said in Lok Sabha that there are two or three big challenges India faces…. The BJP, and its ideology, is taking our country towards a danger — the biggest threat today is that BJP is dividing the country into two (the rich versus the poor),” he said.

On Wednesday, while taking part in the debate on Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, Rahul had launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led government.

On Thursday, he said, “They (BJP) have spread hate in the country…. The powers outside India look at us and say, India is getting weak.”

“The BJP and RSS want only one ideology to rule over all states, all languages and India’s history. That can never happen,” he said. “For example, people of other states cannot tell what the culture of Chhattisgarh should be and how people should live here. Everyone has his or her own rights.”

India, he said, “has different thinking, ideologies and (different) languages of love. That is what we call Hindustan. The BJP has been attacking this (idea of) India. We will oppose that.”

Referring to the face-off between the Army and China’s PLA in Galwan Valley, Rahul said, “The Chinese army could enter Ladakh because BJP and our Prime Minister said after their (PLA’s) entry into our territory that no one had entered. Our work and the work of patriotism is to strengthen the country, its poor; (our work is) to unite the country, not spread hatred.”

So, he said, “this is not a fight between one party and another — it is a battle of ideology”.

Addressing the event, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said, “It is a happy coincidence, as MGNREGA was launched on this day 16 years ago. And today, Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Bhumiheen Krishi Mazdoor Nyay Yojana is being launched in Chhattisgarh.”

The first instalment of Rs 2,000 was deposited into accounts of nearly 3.55 lakh landless families of labourers, barbers, blacksmiths, priests, forest produce collectors and shepherds, among others, on the occasion, officials said.

Meanwhile, family members of Baghel met Rahul at a hotel here before he concluded his day-long visit to Raipur. Baghel tweeted pictures of Rahul with his family members and wrote, “there were two occasions and one was our special guest. One (occasion) is our wedding anniversary and the other one is preparation for our son’s marriage. Thank You @RahulGandhi ji.”