Haryana polls: Rahul flays BJP's 'pro-industrialist' policies at rally

Chandigarh: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the Modi government of working for industrialists, and claimed that money keeps flowing into the account of Gautam Adani "like a tsunami" while the common man struggles.

He also asserted that the Congress will form a government in Haryana and bring about a change.

Addressing a rally in Naraingarh in Ambala district, he said the fight is between the Congress and BJP and their ideologies.

"On one hand justice and on the other hand injustice", he said.

Rahul Gandhi was joined by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and senior Congress leaders from Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Kumari Selja at the rally.

Hitting out the BJP government, he said it belongs to big industrialists.

"In Haryana we don't need such a government, but the one of farmers, labourers and poor, he said.

Referring to his recent visit to the US, the former Congress president said he met some immigrants from Haryana who went there in search of a better future as they were unable to get employment opportunities in their home state.

The Congress leader said it is important to see how much money is going into the pockets of poor and common people and how much is going out.

"You have to ask this whether more money is going out of your pockets or more is coming into your pockets," he said.

"Think about Adani ji. He wakes up in the morning, he does not work in farm, he does not use a plough, does not work in small business, eats good food, lives in palatial house and every morning, for 24 hours, in his bank account, money keeps coming in, non-stop. Like tsunami comes, in same manner money is coming into his bank account," he claimed.

However, money is going out from the bank accounts of people "like a storm," he said.

While the Congress protects the interests of farmers, poor and labourers, the BJP gives benefits to big industrialists, he claimed.

Gandhi said the BJP government says that laws have been framed for farmers.

"If laws were framed for them, then why farmers in the country are on roads. Because farmer knows that money will be taken out from their pockets in one more way," he claimed.

In the name of development, land of farmers, poor is taken but have you heard that land of industrialists being taken, he said.

Referring to the problems of farmers, he said right price is not given for their produce and then when they think of joining the Army, there they face the Agnipath scheme.

"It is not Agniveer scheme, it is a way to steal pension of the jawans, it is just that. Normal jawan gets pension for life. An Agniveer will not get pension. This means, money has been snatched from their pocket," he said.

Without naming parties like INLD and JJP, who are also in contest for the October 5 polls, Gandhi claimed that remote control of small parties is in the hands of BJP.

Former chief minister Hooda and his bete noire and Sirsa MP were also present at the rally as Congress sought to present a united face, with its Haryana unit often coming under sharp attack from rival parties, including the BJP, over infighting.