‘Only because it’s poll time’: Kharge on extension of free ration scheme

Jodhpur, Nov 6 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is thinking of the poor now only because it is election time, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Monday, days after the PM announced the extension of the free grain distribution scheme for five years.

Addressing a rally in Jodhpur in Rajasthan ahead of the November 25 assembly polls, he also derided the ED, CBI and the Income Tax Department as "jawans" of Modi, and said before the prime minister hits the campaign trail he sends the central agencies to target the opposition.

Kharge accused the Narendra Modi government of "troubling the poor and supporting his industrialist friends like Adani." In a swipe at Modi, Kharge said a king, chief minister or prime minister usually helps the poor, but one man is helping the rich after getting votes of the poor.

"In his (Modi) era, the rich are becoming richer and the poor are becoming poorer," he said.

Taunting Modi, he said "this maharaj" has been saying that he is from a backward community and a poor man has become the prime minister.

"You did wrong things, your luck is good, even after doing wrong things some people supported you and you are the prime minister," he said.

Today the BJP people are trying to snatch jobs, he said He accused the government of rendering big public sector undertakings "bimaru (sick)" so that people do not get the benefit of the reservation for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and backward classes.

Kharge said the Narendra Modi government did not create jobs or set up anything new but was selling properties to his industrialist friends.

Referring to Modi announcing the extension of the free grain distribution scheme, the Congress president said the prime minister is thinking of the poor now only because elections are approaching.

Addressing a rally in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on November 5, Prime Minister Modi announced that the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), providing free ration to 80 crore poor people, would be extended for five years.

At the rally in Jodhpur, held after Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot filed his nomination papers for the November 25 elections, Kharge trained his guns on the central probe agencies as well.

Calling the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Income Tax Department and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as "jawans" of Modi, the Congress president said before the prime minister goes on poll campaign and delivers speeches, he sends the central agencies for campaigning.

Modi is afraid due to the defeat of the BJP in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh elections and therefore the agencies were trying to scare the Congress.

The ED recently conducted searches at the premises of Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra in Jaipur and Sikar and Congress candidate from the Mahwa constituency Omprakash Hudla in Dausa.

Kharge alleged that the agencies were trying to scare Congress leaders and asserted that the party was not going to be afraid. He questioned why action is not taken against BJP leaders despite them having money and properties. He said that the BJP has a "washing machine" through which tainted people are made clean.

He said the agencies get active ahead of polls and target opposition leaders.

"What their intelligence wings were doing for two-three years. Why is the action taken during elections,” he asked.

"Is this what happens in democracy? Did this happen during the times of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi? This did not happen even during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's time," he said.

Addressing the rally, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the ED and the Income Tax Department were being misused by the government to target opposition leaders instead of focusing on economic offenders.

He said the ED searched the premises of Dotasra, but did not ask him a single question. "They kept on sitting there," he said, accusing the ED of harassing opposition leaders.

Dotasra also addressed the rally.

The Congress leaders highlighted the schemes and programmes of the party-led government and expressed confidence of the party retaining power in the state. PTI