Congress guarantees in HP, Rajasthan, Karnataka have failed like its leader Rahul Gandhi, claims Thakur

PTI, Nov 5, 2023, 4:02 PM IST

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday said the Congress’ guarantees in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Karnataka have failed just like its leader Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress had deceived people with such announcements, including Gandhi promising (ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh) that he would change the chief minister if his party’s government does not implement farm loan waiver of upto Rs 2 lakh in 10 days.

Gandhi also promised Rs 4,000 as unemployment allowance but all these poll guarantees failed since these were not implemented during its 15-month rule (under Kamal Nath between December 2018 and March 2020), Thakur alleged.

”Such guarantees have failed in Karnataka, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh (where the Congress is in power). In HP, it had given guarantee of providing Rs 1500 per month to 22.50 lakh women. It has not been implemented even after 10 months (of the party coming to power). They had promised one lakh jobs but are yet to provide even 1,000,” Thakur claimed.

In HP, which is Thakur’s home state, the Congress had promised to purchase cow-dung at Rs 2 per kilogram, milk at Rs 100 per litre, provision of 300-unit free electricity but none of these have been fulfilled.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Ladli Behna Yojana’ for women, neighbouring Congress-ruled Rajasthan has seen the highest number of atrocities against women, the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister alleged.

Slamming Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for severe air pollution in the national capital region, Thakur said the former had showed big dreams but the three smoke towers installed by the Aam Aadmi Party government are shut.

Kejriwal used to blame the stubble burning in Punjab (when the Congress was in power) for Delhi’s pollution but now both states have Aam Aadmi Party governments, despite which he was unable to do anything resulting in Delhi turning into a ”gas chamber”.

Asked about Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accusing the Centre of using Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation and Income Tax to terrorise opposition parties, Thakur said these agencies work independently and act as per the law.

Kharge was speaking at a poll rally on Friday, his statement coming amid an allegation against Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel of receiving Rs 508 crore from the promoters of ‘Mahadev’ betting app, which is being probed for money laundering and other irregularities.

Thakur said the Congress and its leaders are under the scanner since the charges are serious, adding that Rs 2.25 crore cash and one kilogram gold was found from an official of a department under Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot.

”The Gehlot government of Rajasthan committed irregularities in Jal Jiwan Mission. In Chhattisgarh, the Mahadev app scam came forward. There are coal, gaothan and other scams in that state,” he alleged.

Thakur said the probe into the app scam in Chhattisgarh was on for a long time and had not started with an eye on polls. Chhattisgarh will witness Assembly polls in two phases on November 7 and 17.

Delhi CM Kejriwal used to give certificates of honesty to AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Sanjay Singh, all of whom are in jail now for alleged corruption, Thakur claimed.