Priyank Kharge Criticises BJP Manifesto and Slogans, Calls for Action on Unfulfilled Promises
KALABURGI: IT-BT, Rural Development, and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge took a sharp jab at the BJP's election manifesto today and dismissed their slogan 'Ab ki baar 400 paar' with a witty twist. Speaking to reporters in Kalaburagi, Kharge mocked that instead of ‘Abki baar 400 paar,’ it would be "Abki baar BJP parliament ke bahar" (this time BJP out of Parliament).
Attacking the BJP's manifesto, Kharge likened it to a "Modi Photo Album," suggesting that it lacked substance beyond showcasing pictures of Modi's 'picnic'. He lamented the absence of initiatives beneficial to youth, women, farmers, the poor, and the needy. Kharge raised questions about the BJP's unfulfilled promises. "Where are their promises of 'Acche Din,' 'Skill India,' 'Make in India,' '100 smart cities,' and '2 crore job creations'? Which assurances have they actually delivered on? Their guarantee has no warranty. They have merely copied our government's guarantees. Our guarantees carry the endorsements of Kharge Saheb, Siddaramaiah, and DK Shivakumar," he said.
He pointed at the BJP's assurance on the law to be enacted to prevent question paper leaks. "During their tenure in power, examinations were marred by chaos. Upon our government assuming office, we swiftly passed a bill to curb such irregularities. The bill was sent to the governor for approval. It has been returned to us," he said. Turning attention to the alarming number of vacant government positions nationwide, Kharge criticized the BJP for not outlining plans to fill these vacancies.
"Central data reveals a staggering 30 lakh vacancies across various departments of the central government. Notably, 9.64 lakh vacancies are in the finance department, 3 lakh in railways, 2.2 lakh in the civil department of the army, 1.20 lakh in the postal department, and 74,000 in the revenue department. However, the BJP manifesto lacks clarity on how these vacancies will be addressed. The Lokniti survey indicates that 79 percent of the youth do not get employment opportunities. There is no clarity on this in their manifesto," he said.
Kharge also criticised the BJP's performance regarding the Skill India scheme.
“The BJP had promised to train 40 crore youth by 2022 under the Skill India scheme, of which only 3.51 percent (1.40 crore) have been trained so far. Out of the trained youth, 80 percent of the youth have not got employment and 20 percent of the youth have left the scheme as unusable,” he said.
"When Modi ji came last time," Kharge recalled, "he had promised to develop Mysuru, Hampi, and Anjanadri. What happened to that? Now, he said the same thing again yesterday. He did not speak of the drought relief and tax relief the Centre was supposed to provide to the state," he said. "With Deve Gowda, Kumaraswamy, Yediyurappa, and Vijayendra sitting next to him, Modi ji speaks about the Congress Party’s family politics and corruption.
Wasn’t Yediyurappa removed from the CM’s post because of corruption charges? Isn't Yediyurappa-Vijayendra's family politics?" he questioned.
Kharge questioned BJP state chief BY Vijayendra and the opposition leader R Ashoka regarding controversial statements made by HD Kumaraswamy. Kharge also spoke about the agriculture hub to protect the interest of the farmers in the region.
