Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. (File)
Lok Sabha elections 2019 HIGHLIGHTS: Taking a swipe at the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that citizens prefer a “chowkidar” and not “rajas and maharajas” to rule the country. “The country does not need rajas and maharajas; makes me happy that the spirit behind chowkidar is expanding,” the Prime Minister said during his address to the nation across 500 locations via video conferencing. Modi added, “We are all chowkidars, committed to a strong and prosperous India. As a chowkidar, I will also fulfil my responsibility.”
Earlier in the day, BJP chief Amit Shah accused the Opposition of hatching a conspiracy against Swami Aseemanand, who was recently given a clean chit by a special NIA court in the 2007 Samjhauta blast case in which 68 people were killed. “The court has given a clean chit to Swami Aseemanand in the Samjhauta blast case. But for the sake of vote bank politics, some people conspired against him and sent him to jail,” Shah said while addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh.
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, on the other hand, announced to contest from two seats — his bastion, Amethi and Wayanad in Kerala. “Wayanad is at the junction of three states. Rahul ji has given his consent to contest from two seats,” Kerala Congress leader A K Antonyaid had said.
Yogi Adityanath: Congress should be punished for its deeds. People of Amethi will give a befitting reply for deceiving them. And I feel, that fear is forcing him to migrate.
Mamata Banerjee supporting Arvind Kejriwal says that we support Delhi's demand for full statehood. We also support Chandrababu Naidu's demand for special state status for Andhra Pradesh.
Modi ji don’t worry who will become prime minister. We also work for the people we know what to do how to do...you never gave an interview. Let’s have a debate on one of your channels let’s debate without phones and teleprompters: Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said that in 2014 BJP had 21 seats from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha and Karnataka which account for 190 seats in Lok Sabha., Out of this they had 17 alone in Karnataka, now that state is also gone to Congress-JDS.
"Demonetisation was the biggest scam of 70 years but they have killed brotherhood. They are making communities fight each other. Like Hitler had changed the German Constitution in 1931, if PM Modi and Amit Shah win in 2019, it will be the last election. Even BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj had said that," the Delhi Chief Minister said.
I had been with Congress for the last 40 years and faced humiliation at times. Yet I worked for the party. We lost badly in Telangana in last elections due to the failure of local leadership. LS elections are being contested under the same leaders in 2019. There are a lot of middlemen, there is no certainty if the voice of the loyalists is reaching the leadership. Our soldiers died in Pulwama, in last few months there has been a change in party leaders' attitude, levelling allegations and saying whatever comes to mind. I have seen a strong leader in PM Modi. I have decided to join the party (BJP). State President has already welcomed me, I am also trying to meet the National President. I hope the PM gets a second tenure.
Taking a jibe at former Union minister P Chidambaram, PM Modi said, "Some intelligent politician had said that we should have kept Mission Shakti a secret. When the US, China and Russia publicly launched the anti-missile satellite, why should we do it secretly?" On Saturday, Chidambaram had said that only a “foolish government” would make such a disclosure and “betray” a defence secret.
Without naming liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya, who is facing a money laundering case and is presently residing in London, PM Modi said, "Some people complain about the state of prisons in India. Are they expecting to be kept in a palace?"
Responding to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's claims that Indo-Pak relations would remain tense till the Lok Sabha elections are over, PM Modi said, "Pakistan thinks that I might be busy with the elections. I want to make it clear that it is the country and not polls which is my priority."
"I am confident that the citizens of the country prefer Chowkidars and not a king," PM Modi said.
Beginning his address, PM Modi said, "We are all Chowkidars, committed to a strong and prosperous India. As a Chowkidar, I will also fulfil my responsibility. However, some people do not progress much. They do not know the meaning of Chowkidar and try to associate the term with someone who wears a hat. A Chowkidar is a spirit and a feeling."
"Special status is important for the future of Andhra Pradesh. The moment we come to power, we will give you a special status," Rahul Gandhi assured.
"Over the last five years, tribals, dalits and minorities have suffered a lot. Their scholarships have been snatched out of their hands. They are beaten and killed on the streets. They are threatened every single day. The BJP and RSS are attacking the Indian Constitution. When Rohit Vemula is forced to commit suicide, that itself is an attack on the Constitution. We are going to increase the amount of money spent on education. We will spend 6% of our GDP on education," the Congress leader said.
"PM Modi carried out the demonetisation drive and removed the Rs 500 note. Millions of families were destroyed. Small and medium businesses had to shut down. The entire country's economy was destroyed. Today, youngsters are searching for jobs through out the country. Mr Modi spoke of Make in India but today we are suffering from a high rate of unemployment. Banks only lend to the richest people of the land. People are not rewarded for their hard work but on the basis of who they know," the Congress leader said.
"In Andhra Pradesh, 600 farmers had committed suicide last year. Our NYAY scheme will help farmers and their families as well. If you are a farmer and you are earning less than Rs 12,000 per month, our government will hand over to you that amount," Rahul Gandhi said.
"The court had given a clean chit to Swami Aseemanand in the Samjhauta blast case. But for the sake of votebank politics, some people conspired against him and sent him to jail," Amit Shah said.
Meanwhile, Lt General (retired) D S Hooda, who was the Northern Army Commander in September 2016 when Indian troops carried out surgical strikes on terror launch pads along the Line of Control following the Uri attack, handed over a comprehensive report on the national security of the country to Rahul Gandhi.
"It was because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's determination that the Indian Air Force conducted strikes across the border. And it is the Opposition which is continuously seeking proof in this regard. By doing so, you are only insulting our forces. Whom are you trying to please by asking for proof?" the BJP leader asked.
BJP chief Amit Shah is now addressing the crowd at Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat.
Meanwhile, Shatrughan Sinha, who recently quit the BJP and joined Congress, said, "I decided to go with the Congress as it is a national party in the 'true sense'. RJD chief Lalu Prasad had also advised me to do so."
Union Minister and BJP Senior leader Ravi Shankar Prasad reacting to Rahul Gandhi's candidature from Wayanad, said, "Rahul Gandhi's roots in Amethi are shaky. Some people go to the temples around election time and he is one among them. We tried doing some homework about why did he suddenly escape to Wayanad? That is when we realised that the population in Wayanad consists of 49.4% Hindus, whereas rest of them belong to the minority group. I question the Congress President's choice of Wayanad when there were other Southern constituencies that he could have contested from."
On the gripping sugarcane farmers' crisis gripping Uttar Pradesh, Amit Shah in Nagina said, "The SP-BSP alliance which has not paid for sugarcane from 2011 to 2015, is advising us on sugarcane payments now. CM Yogi Adityanath's government has accounted and paid Rs 57 thousand crore until 2017 and we will ensure that sugarcane payments would be made to the farmers' accounts before the elections are over."
Amit Shah in Uttar Pradesh: "Congress' votebank politics has threatened the safety of our country. It's a result of this that Rahul Gandhi leaving Amethi, has advanced towards Kerala because he knows that he has no place in Amethi this time."
Amit Shah: The then home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Rahul Gandhi himself had told the US Ambassador that Hindu terrorism is a bigger threat than Lashkar-e- Toiba. Rahul Gandhi and the Congress should apologise for denigrating Hindus.
Amit Shah: Congress has tried to defame the Hindu community by associating it with terrorism. Can Hindus ever be terrorists? Probably Rahul Gandhi is not aware that we even feed ants, then how can we kill people?
Amit Shah in Nagina: "People of Nagina expressed their wish to see Modiji as the prime minister by chanting "Modi Modi". But who will the gathbandhan (coalition) will chose as their prime minister? Neither they have any planning nor tradition, they are united only by the fear of Modiji."
BJP Kerala President PS Sreedharan Pillai reacting to the announcement of Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad, told indianexpress.com: "We will carry out a strong campaign against Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad. Will speak with the central leadership and BDJS on candidate in changed scenario." The seat is currently allotted to BJP-ally BJDS candidate Paily Vathiattu.
Rahul Gandhi in Andhra Pradesh: Please remember that this country is not the property of man or one party. I would like to conclude by saying that first thing that Congress, if voted to power, would ensure special status to Andhra Pradesh. My family has an old relationship with this state, which is not a political one but the relationship of the heart. Your due and what belongs to the people of this state will be given to you.
Rahul Gandhi in Andhra Pradesh: You know the mismanagement that has taken place in Andhra Pradesh and you know that the state is struggling. You also know the corruption of Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy. We want to build a strong Andhra, where everyone has a chance for a great future and only the Congres party can do that. We truly care for the weakest in the society and only Congress can protect the farmers.
On his proposed minimum income guarantee scheme, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said: "Rs 72,000 a year....I'm not Mr Modi, I don't lie. He said he'll give you Rs 15 Lakh, that was a lie. Government of India cannot give you Rs 15 Lakh in a bank account but government can give Rs 72,000 a year to the poorest people in India."
On job creation, Rahul Gandhi said, "For the young entrepreneurs of Andhra Pradesh, we have committed that for 3 years after opening a business, you will not have to take any permission from government departments."
Rahul Gandhi in Andhra Pradesh: "Where our idea was to make one India, one united India, an India where everybody is happy, Mr Narendra Modi wants to make two India. One India for the richest people, Anil Ambani, Mehul Choksi and another India for the farmers, for the unemployed labourers."
"So we have decided that in 2019, the Congress will carry out a surgical strike against poverty. If Narendra Modi can declare a surgical strike on the poor of the country, we will wage a war against the poverty. We will give NYAY to the poor."
Rahul Gandhi on special status to Andhra Pradesh: Manmohan Singh ji commited to the state that we will give special status. We will give what Andhra Pradesh deserves. It wasn't just an individual who commited but the prime minister of India who promised it. And it was the commitment of a prime minister on behalf of the nation.
Modi has been the pm for the last 5 years and he has not done it. Even the regional parties are not pushing the prime minister to give them the special status.
It is our commitment that we will give special status to Andhra Pradesh when we come to power.
Carrying forward his attack from last week to the news of Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said today, "He's fighting in one of the 20 constituencies (in Kerala)& doesn't need to be seen as any different. We'll fight him. He should've contested from a constituency where BJP is contesting, it's nothing but a fight against Left." (ANI)
Echoing CM Vijayan's words from last week, CPI (M) ex-General Secretary Prakash Karat today said, "To pick a candidate like Rahul Gandhi against Left means that Congress is going to target the Left in Kerala. This is something which we will strongly oppose & in this election we will work to ensure the defeat of Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad. Congress's decision to field Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad shows their priority now is to fight against Left in Kerala." He said that it goes against Congress' national commitment to fight BJP, adding that in Kerala it's LDF which is the main force fighting BJP. (ANI)
While reacting to Kerala Congress' proposal asking Rahul Gandhi to contest from Wayanad, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan last week had asked the grand old party to clarify what message it was sending out by asking Gandhi to contest from the state. “In Uttar Pradesh, SP-BSP alliance is unarguably the main political force, whereas in Kerala it is the LDF. Gandhi is not coming to fight the BJP here, but the LDF,” CM Vijayan had told reporters in Kannur. Read entire story
Disclaimer: The story is a replug from last week