2nd phase of Jan Aakrosh Yatra begins: ‘25 lakh in Gujarat have become drug addicts due to inaction’: Cong launches scathing attack on govt

Chavda added that although the Central government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been in power for over 10 years, it had failed to “protect villages and give rights to the people”.

Pointing out that the former UPA government had waived off farmers’ debts worth Rs 72,000 crore and the crops received “market price”, the BJP government has money only to waive debts of industrialists.

“Even though Gujarat witnessed the harshest unseasonal rain this year, leaving the farmers devastated and forcing more than 26 farmers to take the extreme step, there was no package offered that could help.

Those who took pride that Prime Minister Modi is from Gujarat are left frustrated today… The BJP government only has the budget to waive off crores of rupees of debts of industrialists…,” he alleged.

Mevani said that the RSS and the BJP were not part of India’s freedom struggle while Congress leaders were attacked with batons and sent to Kala Pani jail in Port Blair in the Andamans.

Invoking former Gujarat Chief Minister Madhavsinh Solanki, Mevani said, “I want to request the members of OBC communities to remind the current generation that the mid-day meal served to children in the schools here is a result of the work of Madhavsinh Solanki… The people who vote for the BJP in your village, they must be reminded of this fact… The RSS and the BJP, in fact, were not even part of the freedom struggle. It were the Congress leaders who suffered the British attacks– facing batons and sticks, being sent to Kala Pani; all, so that India would be free. The Congress party’s contribution to building India cannot be forgotten.”

Mevani accused the Gujarat government of “silence” in the matter of rising cases of drug abuse. “Since 2019, over 50,000 people have become drug addicts and about 25 lakh people in Gujarat consume drugs but the Chief Minister is silent. People who are addicted have been selling off even their utensils to get money to buy drugs but not a single officer of Gujarat state or the Ministers are ashamed… They have betrayed the people of Gujarat by failing to curb the drugs. Ministers who earn profits from drugs and brothels are traitors,” Mevani said.

Congress MP from Banaskantha Geni Thakor targeted the government stating that it had “failed to arrest bootleggers” involved in illicit liquor trade.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Dr. Tushar Chaudhary said that after North Gujarat, the yatra had received an overwhelming response in Central Gujarat as people “are coming out of the atmosphere of fear and panic”.

Chaudhary spoke about the condition of the roads in the state, incidents of broken bridges – including accidents in Morbi, Palanpur, Gambhira- and accused the government of corruption.

“If the voice of the MLAs of the ruling party is not being heard, then one can imagine what the condition of the common people would be,” he asked.