Taking Punjab election campaigning to its crescendo, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Friday blamed the Akalis and BJP for standing against the FDI in retail bill which is going to benefit the farmers immensely.
Addressing an election rally in Gidderbaha constituency for Youth Congress leader Amrinder Singh Raja Warring who has been handpicked by him to contest from the Akali stronghold, Mr Gandhi said that the setting up of agro industries near farms would help farmers. He said that even though the BJP and Akalis realise the benefits of FDI, they oppose it for just because the Congress is bringing the idea.
Talking about corruption, Mr Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress government wanted to bring a “constitutional Lokpal”. “We tabled the bill, but the BJP and Akalis stalled the bill by voting against it.” He said that it is ironic that Mr Advani talks about corruption, “but can’t see corruption in Punjab, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh,” he added.
Mr Rahul Gandhi said that the UPA government has helped Punjab in last five years. It has given IIT at Ropar, IISC at Mohali, Central University at Bhatinda an aid of `145 crores for the upgradation of Amritsar International Airport. It is the Akali government, which has not worked and performed, he added. Addressing the farmers, the Congress general secretary said that “water-logging is a big problem in your area, but the Akalis have not done anything about it so far”.
He said that in 2004, when the NDA fought the election on the “India Shining” slogan, without realising the realities of the poor people, they were defeated. Similarly in 2012, the Akali-BJP government is raising the slogan of “Punjab Shining”, he said.
He attacked the Akalis for making hollow claims of turning Punjab into California. India cannot shine for Congress until there are poor people in it, he added.