PM Modi 'accepts' Rajasthan govt's good work: Congress

The Congress on Monday (October 2) said Prime Minister Narendra Modi fell into Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's trap as he "accepted" that the Rajasthan government has done a good work.

Addressing a press conference in Jaipur organised hours after Modi's public meeting in Chittorgarh, Congress leader Pawan Khera also said the prime minister has betrayed the people of Rajasthan on the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) by not declaring it a project of national importance.

“Our chief minister laid a trap and the prime minister fell into it by saying that the Gehlot government's schemes will be continued if the BJP comes to power in the state. When our schemes are good then who will vote for you (BJP),” Khera said.

At the Chittorgarh rally, Prime Minister Modi said Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has already conceded defeat in the upcoming assembly elections by requesting him not to scrap the welfare schemes started by the Congress in Rajasthan, and gave a "guarantee" that the BJP will not discontinue them.

Gehlot has demanded that Prime Minister Modi give a guarantee that schemes, including Cheeranjivi health insurance and Old Pension Scheme, run by the Congress government will not be stopped if BJP government is formed after the upcoming assembly elections due later this year. “Earlier, BJP MLA Suryakanta Vyas gave certificates to schemes of the Gehlot government. When good work is done by us then we will get votes also,” Khera said.

Referring to the corruption allegations by Modi, he said the prime minister should not forget the corruption charges levelled by BJP MLA Kailash Meghwal against Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. “The corruption charges are not against Gehlot but against Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal,” the Congress leader said.

During his rally, PM Modi attacked the Congress government in Rajasthan over a range of issues including alleged atrocities against women and recruitment exam paper leaks.

Khera said the prime minister should not talk about paper leaks as such cases have happened 28 times in Gujarat where he was chief minister for 12 years. “It is only the Rajasthan government that has taken strict action on such cases,” he said.

Khera also said that when the PM talks about rising crime against women in Rajasthan, he forgets to mention about crime in Manipur, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. “If there is crime in Rajasthan then action has also been taken,” he added.

Replying to a question on anti-incumbency against the Congress government, Khera said, “After 30 years, this is the first time where the elections are fought with pro-incumbency for a government in Rajasthan.” Speaking on the occasion, Congress in-charge for the state Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said PM Modi should have spoken on national issues and schemes.

Meanwhile, Lokesh Sharma, Congress leader and officer on special duty to CM Gehlot, asked why PM Modi did not talk about the situation in BJP-ruled states like Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh on crime and atrocities against women.

“Why does the Prime Minister, who has come to Rajasthan for the second time in a week ahead of the elections, never talk about BJP-ruled states before presenting the wrong picture of Rajasthan?” Sharma asked.

“What is the situation in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh...while defaming Rajasthan for political gains, does Modi ever remember Manipur?” he said in a post on X.

(With agency inputs)