GUWAHATI, April 22: Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate on Monday asserted that the party’s manifesto represents the voices of the deprived and underprivileged and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s problem with it.
Criticising Modi for his remark against the manifesto, she said he should use words “befitting his position and age”.
During a poll rally in Rajasthan on Sunday, the PM had suggested that if the Congress comes to power, it would redistribute wealth of people to Muslims and cited former PM Manmohan Singh’s remark that the minority community had the first claim on the country’s resources.
Modi had also alleged that the Congress plans to give people’s hard-earned money and valuables to “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”.
“Our manifesto bears the imprint of aspirations of dalits, women, youth, farmers, labourers and students. We don’t know what else Modi sees in it,” Shrinate, who also heads the party’s social media and digital platforms, said.
“I want to ask him what is his problem with our manifesto. If the BJP-led NDA government failed to fulfil its promises, it is not our problem,” she said.
Shrinate highlighted the party’s pledges regarding job creation, women’s welfare, and support for farmers.
“These are promises by the Congress and we will keep it. It is not BJP’s jumla”, she said.
Questioning BJP’s ‘Modi ki guarantee’, the AICC leader added, “They could not give jobs, double income of farmers and control prices of essential commodities and fuel. How will people believe in their so-called guarantee.”
“The PM’s remarks and the choice of words are not befitting his position and age. It is tarnishing the chair of the Prime Minister,” she said.
“People will vote for a big change and signs are already visible after first phase of polling. BJP will be wiped clean in the south and reduced to half in the north,” she claimed.
She also raised concerns about the neutrality of the Election Commission, urging it to ensure fair polling amid reports of irregularities.
“There have been reports of largescale rigging of postal ballots. The EC should wake up from its slumber and ensure free elections,” she asserted.
On BJP’s manifesto, the Congress leader said updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which was a prominent promise in 2019 polls, did not happen this year.
Referring to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Shrinate said, “No law should be imposed on people. The CAA needs lots of reforms. They (BJP) passed the law and notified the rules just before polls. It shows their way of functioning. INDIA bloc will never impose anything on people.” (PTI)
