Addressing a rally in Bharatpur, Modi taunted state Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, saying the people have decided not to vote for the "jadugar" and that Congress will vanish from the state after the election. "3 December, Congress 'chhoo mantar.'" Before he entered politics, Gehlot, the son of a professional magician, toured the country performing magic tricks.
Assembly polls are due to take place in Rajasthan on November 25 and counting of votes will be done on December 3. "On the one hand, India is becoming a leader in the world. On the other hand, you all know what happened in Rajasthan in the last five years. Congress has made Rajasthan a leader in corruption, riots, and crimes. That's why Rajasthan is saying - Magician ji, you won't get any votes," Modi said.
He also accused the party of giving a free hand to criminals with its policy of appeasement. "Wherever Congress comes, terrorists, criminals and rioters are let loose. Appeasement is everything for Congress. Congress can go to any extent for appeasement, even if it means putting your life at stake," Modi said.
He said that the state under Congress' five-year rule has seen a maximum number of crimes against women and Dalits. "Be it Holi, Ram Navami, or Hanuman Jayanti, you people could not celebrate any festival peacefully. Riots, stone pelting, curfew, all this continued in Rajasthan," he said.
The PM said the Congress has shattered the confidence of the women of Rajasthan. "The Chief Minister says that women file fake rape cases. Can he protect women? Does such a Chief Minister have the right to remain in chair even for a minute?" Modi asked. He also called out a minister close to Gehlot, without naming him, for terming Rajasthan a manly state, saying such remarks gave rise to crime against women.
Congress should be ashamed of such a statement by its members, he said. Modi's comments apparently were directed at Rajasthan Urban Development and Housing Minister Shanti Dhariwal, who had last year attracted criticism for making light of incidents of rape in a comment. Modi said he wonders whether the minister was let go without punishment because he held some secrets of the CM.
"Instead of punishing this minister, Congress gave him a reward. He got a ticket. So the people sitting in Delhi agreed with this sin. What other red diary does the magician's favourite minister have which has made even Delhi bow and give him a ticket," he said. Modi called Congress "anti-Dalit" by nature, and alleged that the party could not digest a Dalit becoming a chief information commissioner.
Heeralal Samariya, the newly appointed CIC, is a resident of Deeg district of Rajasthan. Earlier, Deeg was a part of Bharatpur district. Modi said Congress even boycotted the meeting which was held for the officer's appointment. "Congress cannot see a Dalit officer reaching higher post." The PM also held the Congress government responsible for inflation and high price of petrol and diesel in Rajasthan.
He said that the per litre price of petrol in neighbouring Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat is about Rs 97, while the Congress government charges Rs 109 per litre petrol in Rajasthan. "They take away Rs 12 from your pocket on every litre and put it in the coffers of their leaders. This game of Congress will also end as soon as the BJP government is formed," he said, adding, the BJP will review the fuel prices as soon as it forms a government in the state.
Modi also referred to the 'red diary' controversy that hit the Gehlot government recently. He said that the diary contains the secret of how "the magician government handed over Rajasthan to the mining mafia." Sacked minister Rajendra Gudha had earlier claimed that he possessed a red diary which contains illegal financial transactions of Gehlot. Four pages purported to be from the diary recently surfaced on social media. PTI
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