Prime Minister Narendra Modi waived loans worth Rs 16 lakh crore of 22 rich people in the last 10 years but could not give Rs 9,000 crore to Himachal Pradesh to deal with the disaster caused by monsoon rains last year, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Saturday.

Rather than helping the hill state, Modi attempted to “steal” its elected government, Gandhi alleged and claimed that the prime minister “openly announced” at his rallies that he would topple the Congress regime in Himachal Pradesh.

The former Congress chief was referring to Modi’s speeches in Nahan and Mandi on Friday, in which the prime minister claimed that the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh would not last long. Modi also alleged wrongful distribution of the central flood aid by the state government and promised action.

“The prime minister is saying he will bring down the Himachal Pradesh government by stealing, giving money and through corruption,” Gandhi said, alleging that “stolen” governments were formed in Goa, Arunachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

He was addressing poll rallies at Nahan and Una in Himachal Pradesh to garner support for the Congress candidates from Shimla and Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituencies, Vinod Sultanpuri and Satpal Raizada respectively, besides seeking votes for party candidates Rakesh Kalia and Vivek in the Gagret and Kutlehar Assembly bypolls.

The Congress leader accused Modi of handing over all storage facilities to one person to control the prices of apples, in an apparent reference to industrialist Gautam Adani who owns cold-storage facilities and stores in the state.

The share prices of Adani-owned companies go up whenever Modi is sworn in as prime minister, he claimed, adding that under the BJP-led Centre, the dreams of only 22 people have been fulfilled, while the people of the country remain mute observers.

Accusing Modi of boosting the unemployment rate in the country by helping Adani, finishing small and medium businesses and by introducing steps like demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Gandhi claimed that the prime minister has handed over airports, ports, solar and wind-power projects to the Adani Group.

Taking a dig at Modi, he said, “The prime minister says god makes him do things. Maybe god wants Modi to help Adani.”

“What I want to ask Modi is, whether this feeling or disease comes (to his mind) in the morning, evening or remains the entire day,” he said, adding that when an enquiry would be announced against Adani after the Lok Sabha polls, the prime minister would say he had not given the airports to Adani, god had told him to do so and he only complied.

“Modi waived loans worth Rs 16 lakh crore of 22 people in the last 10 years but could not give Rs 9,000 crore to Himachal Pradesh to deal with the disaster caused by monsoon rains,” Gandhi said.

Spells of extreme rainfall in July and August last year brought Himachal Pradesh to its knees, killing more than 550 people and damaging private property and public infrastructure.

Striking a chord with the people of the hill state, Gandhi said, “My sister (Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) lives here in Shimla. Remember, Rahul and Priyanka are your soldiers in Delhi and Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and the Congress team are your soldiers in the state.”

The Modi government has created two categories of soldiers, one who would get the martyr status and his family pension, canteen facility and respect, and the other is of Agniveers who would be thrown out of the armed forces after four years, he said.

Referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement made in Una on Saturday that Agniveers would get jobs in para-military and state police forces, Gandhi said, "We do not need two categories for youngsters willing to sacrifice their lives for the country."

Scrapping the Agniveer scheme for short-term military recruitment would the first priority of the Congress after it comes to power at the Centre, he asserted.

Gandhi said 700 farmers lost their lives protesting against three “black” farm laws of the Centre that have since been repealed and were denied the status of martyrs.

 He also promised a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops and farm loan waiver if his party comes to power.

Gandhi said poor families would get Rs 1 lakh every year till they are brought out of poverty. He also promised that 30 lakh vacancies in government departments would be filled to provide jobs to unemployed youngsters.

Accusing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders of attacking the Constitution by saying they would abolish it, he appealed to Congress workers to protect the Constitution by ensuring the victory of the party candidates in all the four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh.

Gandhi also claimed that the media has lost its credibility.

He said once the Congress comes to power, it will give assured jobs for a year to graduates under the “Pehli Naukri Pakki Adhikar” programme.

Speaking at the Nahan rally, Sukhu said Gandhi has given only one direction to him that the government should reach out to the last person in the society.

The chief minister lashed out at the BJP for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to oust the Congress government in the state.

This election is a fight between the public and “sold-out” leaders, he said and called upon the electorate to defeat opportunists.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said Gandhi has fought a decisive battle against dictatorship and asserted that people are voting for the Congress.

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