Voters feel betrayed after 4 years: AICC

GUWAHATI, May 26: Running counter to the BJP’s claim of success during its four-year rule at the Centre, the Congress has termed the period as BJP’s misrule betraying the people of the country. The Opposition Congress observed the day nationwide as vishwasghat diwas (day of betrayal).

As part of the programme in Guwahati, All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) national spokesperson Shakti Singh Gohil talked to the media at Rajiv Bhawan here on Saturday. He said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise before the people of the country was to bring about change in the country. However, after four years the voters of the country feel that they betrayed themselves.”

Questioning as to why the BJP failed to address runaway rural distress, Gohil said: “Agricultural growth has been the lowest-ever (1.9 per cent) under the Modi government from 2014-18 as compared to 4.2 per cent under Congress rule from 2004-14. According to an RBI report, rural wage growth has dipped from 38 per cent in 2014 to 0 per cent in 2018. MGNREGA work days have also dropped from 45 days in 2014 to 16.3 days in 2018.” In the farm sector, Gohil said: “Farmers commit suicide at the rate 35 farmers in 24 hours in the country. The PM Safal Bima Yojana benefits insurance companies, not farmers. While companies earn a profit of Rs 14,828 crore, farmers get paid only Rs 5,650 crore under the scheme.”

Modi’s poll promise was to provide two crore jobs yearly. Gohil said: “The ground reality is quite different now. Only 4.16 lakh jobs were created in 2016-17. Demonetization has led 15 lakh people to lose their jobs.”

On the education policy of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, Gohil said: “This government has no education policy at all. The government collected Rs 160786.85 crore in education cess in the past four years. Where has the money gone? The UGC has also slashed its budget by 67.5 per cent.”

Gohil blamed the government for the leakage of question papers in a number of competitive examinations in the country during the BJP rule at the Centre.

On the Prime Minister’s promise of bringing back black money stashed in banks abroad, Gohil said: “He promised to bring back Rs 80 lakh crore black money from abroad in 100 days, and deposit Rs 15 lakh in every Indian’s bank account. It has turned out to be a white lie. On the contrary, people’s money in banks is not safe as banks report a loss of Rs 44,542 crore in quarter 4 in 2018 owing to frauds. Loot and scoot become the norms as fraudsters including Mallya, Lalit Modhi, Nirav Modi, Choksi, Jatin Mehta and others flee the country after duping banks.”

Gohil questioned as to how Amit shah’s son Jay Shah converted a company that had a capital of Rs 50,000 from 2004-14 into a company of Rs 80 crore. This apart, Gohil said, oil prices maintain a rising trend in the country despite fall in oil prices in the international market.

Speaking at the same press meet, APCC president Ripun Bora said: “On May 29 there will be a bicycle rally in Guwahati. On June 6 there will be dharnas at district level in the State and on June 9 there will be bicycle rallies at protests at block-level in the State.” Former State Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, CLP leader Debabrata Saikia and others were also present at the press meet where a booklet – India Betrayed – was released.