UDUPI : Tearing into the ruling party in the state on a day when a sitting Congress councillor’s daughter was stabbed to death by a collegemate in Hubbali, Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi said the letter ‘C’ in the Congress stands for corruption, criminality, and communal violence.
Speaking to ANI on Friday, the BJP MP who missed out on a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha polls this time, said, “For any government, it is a salient duty to ensure that our children acquire the proper moral and ethical lessons in schools. Even the people should have requisite awareness in this regard. People should have the belief that the law and machinery of a state will ensure that those who do wrong are brought to book. However, the Congress has failed abjectly in this regard (in Karnataka).”
“The erstwhile UPA (Congress-led United Progressive Alliance) has failed to instil that confidence in people about law and order. So, rebranding or recasting themselves to INDIA does not necessarily alter the DNA of the parties in the alliance. They are still the UPA of old. The ‘C’ in the Congress stands for corruption, criminality, and communal violence. That’s what is happening under their rule (in Karnataka) and people, across the country, are all very concerned,” she added.
The last rites Neha Hiremath, the 24-year-old daughter of Congress corporator Niranjan Hiremath, were performed by her parents on Friday.
Neha Hiremath succumbed to multiple stab wounds inflicted by Fayaz, her former friend and collegemate who was arrested. The incident prompted the Opposition parties, especially the BJP, to question the prevailing law and order situation in the state.
Responding to a social media post by Congress national president Malikarjun Kharge, Lekhi accused the grand old party of depriving a large section of the country’s population of even basic amenities such as banking services and toilets during their decades-old reign at the Centre.
“What did they do in all the years they were in power? They did not provide basic banking services to a large section of the country’s population in the 70 years of their governance at the Centre. They were not even provided with toilets. What ‘Nari Nyay’ (justice for women) are you (Kharge) talking about? You gave no money to the people when they needed it,” Lekhi added.
“Hearing them (Kharge and other Congress leaders) talk about women these days, I wish to take you back 10 years when the combined savings accounts of common citizens were less than Rs 10 crore. A common man, back in the day, didn’t even have an excuse to visit a bank, let alone avail loans. However, over the last 10 years, women have been provided with a safety shield. Women account for 70 per cent of beneficiaries of the Mudra loan scheme (of the Centre). Access to finance for women has also increased while more than 12 crore toilets have been built to prevent them from stepping outdoors to relieve themselves,” the Union Minister added.
“Our government has brought a major qualitative change to people’s lives. Because of the foundation laid that Mr. Modi has laid to his vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and his guarantees, even the budget of (Congress-ruled) Karnataka has grown from Rs 836 crore to Rs 6,000 crore,” Lekhi said.
Earlier, taking to his official X handle, Kharge posted, “The Congress guarantees the legal enforcement of the SC-ST Sub Plan. Budget allocation should be as per the population of SC/ST communities! The Special Component Plan for Scheduled Castes and the Tribal Sub Plan, initiated by Mrs. Indira Gandhi in the 1970s to ensure balanced and adequate participation of Scheduled Castes and Tribes in budgetary resources, were discontinued by the Modi government in 2014.”
“The Congress pledges to revive the SC/ST schemes and ensure their enforcement through law. For the past seven decades, the Congress party has been raising its voice with utmost urgency for the rights of marginalised, oppressed, and deprived sections of society, as well as for the rights of all communities. Congress alone will ensure ‘hissedaarii nyaay’ participation,” he added.
On the BJP’s prospects in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Lekhi echoed the party’s resolve to go past the 400-seat mark.
“Absolutely, Abki baar, 400 paar (this time, we’ll go past 400 seats). We are working towards that Lakshya (goal). We are hopeful that the people will acknowledge and appreciate that this not just election slogan but a commitment to the country. To borrow the words of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, this is how the BJP and the NDA work. We work on the ground and work very hard. We have a roadmap, we have identified the problems (affecting the country and the people) and are working to resolve them,” Lekhi said.
On allegations of discrimination in budgetary allocations to South states, as was made by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Lekhi dismissed them as propaganda, while also labelling them as false and baseless.
“This is nothing but propaganda…a fake and false propoganda,” Lekhi said. (ANI)