RAJKOT/MAHUVA (SURAT): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday took a dig at the ruling BJP over the issue of Morbi bridge collapse case that had claimed 135 lives. Gandhi alleged during an election rally in Rajkot that the ‘real culprits’ behind the collapse of the British-era suspension bridge on October 30 were being shielded because they shared a “good relationship” with the ruling BJP.
The Congress leader also charged the BJP government of splitting the country into two — one for a countable few industrialists and another for the poor.
Kicking off Congress’s election campaign, Gandhi addressed public meetings in Mahuva of Surat and Rajkot city by attacking the BJP over joblessness, inflation and crony capitalism.
Gandhi in Rajkot said while the watchmen posted at the bridge were arrested and jailed, no action was taken against the real culprits. “When journalists ask about the Morbi tragedy… I say this is not a political issue because 150 people had lost their lives. But the question arises as to why no action has been against those who were behind this (tragedy), why no FIR (has been filed against them)?” he asked. “Will nothing happen to them because they share a good relationship with the BJP? They arrested the chowkidars and put them behind bars, but no action has been taken against the real culprits,” alleged the Congress leader. Addressing a rally in Mahuva (Surat) earlier in the day, Gandhi said he felt the pain of farmers, youth and tribals during his ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra. “I met youngsters who aspired to be engineers but are working as labourers and those who studied medicine to become doctors working as drivers or delivery executives with food aggregators. There are lakhs of vacancies in the government but the public sector is being privatized to benefit the countable few crorepati businessmen,” he said without naming any industrial house.
He said farmers were asking him during the padyatra why they were being dubbed defaulters if they fail to repay a paltry loan of Rs 50,000-Rs 1,00,000 but crores of loans of industrialists are being waived off. The Gandhi scion alleged that demonetization and faulty implementation of GST were weapons aimed at destroying the poor and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and pave way for a few industrialists to pursue their dreams of venturing into every business, be it farming, telecom, ports, infrastructure or airports.
“There are two Indias today — one of the poor and the other consisting of a few crorepati businessmen. We want one united India with justice,” he said in Rajkot.
The Congress leader also charged the BJP government of splitting the country into two — one for a countable few industrialists and another for the poor.
Kicking off Congress’s election campaign, Gandhi addressed public meetings in Mahuva of Surat and Rajkot city by attacking the BJP over joblessness, inflation and crony capitalism.
Gandhi in Rajkot said while the watchmen posted at the bridge were arrested and jailed, no action was taken against the real culprits. “When journalists ask about the Morbi tragedy… I say this is not a political issue because 150 people had lost their lives. But the question arises as to why no action has been against those who were behind this (tragedy), why no FIR (has been filed against them)?” he asked. “Will nothing happen to them because they share a good relationship with the BJP? They arrested the chowkidars and put them behind bars, but no action has been taken against the real culprits,” alleged the Congress leader. Addressing a rally in Mahuva (Surat) earlier in the day, Gandhi said he felt the pain of farmers, youth and tribals during his ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra. “I met youngsters who aspired to be engineers but are working as labourers and those who studied medicine to become doctors working as drivers or delivery executives with food aggregators. There are lakhs of vacancies in the government but the public sector is being privatized to benefit the countable few crorepati businessmen,” he said without naming any industrial house.
He said farmers were asking him during the padyatra why they were being dubbed defaulters if they fail to repay a paltry loan of Rs 50,000-Rs 1,00,000 but crores of loans of industrialists are being waived off. The Gandhi scion alleged that demonetization and faulty implementation of GST were weapons aimed at destroying the poor and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and pave way for a few industrialists to pursue their dreams of venturing into every business, be it farming, telecom, ports, infrastructure or airports.
“There are two Indias today — one of the poor and the other consisting of a few crorepati businessmen. We want one united India with justice,” he said in Rajkot.