Alleges BJP government turned Goa into a “model of corruption”
Margao: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday urged Goans to give the Congress a full majority in the upcoming Assembly elections, alleging that the BJP government has turned the state into a “model of corruption”.
Speaking at Dr Rajendra Prasad Stadium in Margao after participating in the Gõy Rakhonn Yatra on the concluding day, senior Congress leader accused the BJP of benefiting its leaders and their families while the youth faced unemployment and people lost their land.
“BJP leaders and their members are turning into billionaires, the assets of the Chief Minister’s family are multiplying but the youth of Goa cannot find employment. They have dismantled the entire system and have torn apart the employment structure. Their system is to steal votes and take your land and give it to the billionaires,” he alleged.
“This is their playbook in every state, not just Goa. There is extreme corruption here. Perhaps if there is any state in the country with the highest corruption, it is Goa. They have turned Goa into a model of corruption. There is high-tech corruption with every type of corruption. Just like Narendra Modi’s Gujarat vote theft model, in Goa there is a specialised Goa corruption model and this has to be dismantled,” he said.
He was addressing thousands of people attending the meeting held after the last leg of the Yatra that began last month and covered all 40 constituencies.
Gandhi said the Congress was the only party capable of fighting the ideological battle against the BJP.
“They steal votes, they have no shortage of money; they are the most corrupt. Therefore for the Goa elections, you must give the Congress party a full majority. Understand this: the pain you are suffering, the daily humiliation you face, the way your land is being snatched and sold, if you want this to stop, you have to give the Congress a full majority. So move ahead with this resolve that every Congress worker, leader and the citizen of Goa will fight this battle to make Congress win with a majority,” he said.
Pointing to the issues facing the state including land sale and unemployment, and the concerns that were raised during the yatra, Gandhi also spoke about the protests at the Centre, the government’s reaction, and the education system in the country.
Gandhi also alleged that names of people supporting Opposition parties are being deleted from electoral rolls, accusing the ruling party of inflating its votes, shifting voters between districts and bringing in voters from other states.
“You must remain vigilant during elections. You are the protectors of the Constitution. In Delhi, we have made it so that (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, Modi and Amit Shah cannot sleep at night because they know that the Congress party will deliver justice… Look at our education system. The entire world recognised India’s education system as world class but in Delhi today students are being lathicharged and beaten because they are demanding action against vote theft, demanding jobs and asking for relief from rising costs and inflation,” he said.
“This country does not belong to any single organisation, this country does not belong to the RSS; it does not belong to the BJP. This country belongs to the people of India. Goa belongs to you! Goa is not the personal property of the CM or the ministers. Goa is yours, your children should get education, healthcare facilities, employment, environmental protection and you should have a secure future in it,” he said, drawing applause from the gathering.
Gandhi arrived in Goa on Sunday afternoon after his visit was cancelled several times earlier this month. Party leaders and supporters received him at Dabolim airport, after which he joined the yatra for 2 km from Daivadnya Bhawan in Calconda to Dr Rajendra Prasad Stadium.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar, South Goa MP Viriato Fernandes and other senior state Congress leaders attended the meeting.
Congress MLAs Carlos Alvares Ferreira, Altone D’Costa and Yuri Alemao, and former MP Francisco Sardinha, Revolutionary Goans Party MLA Viresh Borkar and state president Shavina Shirodkar were also present.
The gathering raised slogans in support of Gandhi, who has been at the forefront of protests in Delhi over allegations of “vote chori” and the demand for the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation.
