Oppn’s Dalit play a ploy: PM

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

Baghpat, May 27

Launching a scathing attack on the Congress and those supporting it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said these parties were not sincere to the cause of the Dalits and oppressed sections and were “spreading canards” against his government, “that had been working towards inclusive growth with a thrust on infrastructure”. 

  The PM’s criticism comes ahead of the important Kairana Lok Sabha byelection on Monday where the Opposition parties have put up a common candidate.

Before heading for Baghpat, the PM inaugurated the first phase of the Delhi-Meerut 14-lane expressway (9-km stretch) from Sarai Kale Khan to UP Gate in Delhi, holding an impressive roadshow in an open car, waving at cheering crowds on both sides of the highway.

Addressing a public meeting at Baghpat after inaugurating the 135-km-long Eastern Peripherial Expressway (EPE), also known as the Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal expressway, he said it encapsulated the philosophy of “Sab ka saath, sab ka vikas”.

Taking on the Congress  and its allies, he said: “They only shed crocodile tears for Dalits, OBCs and other underprivileged sections. They  blocked a move in Parliament to grant constitutional status to the National Commission for  Backward Classes. But we will not give up. Your demand will be met. Modi brings a project to fruition when he undertakes it,” he declared.

Accusing the Congress of mocking “every poor-oriented policy and decision” of the government, he said the party was vitiating the country’s atmosphere with its attempts to create mistrust for the Constitution and the  Supreme  Court. 

He cautioned the farmers on the Opposition’s “false propaganda” that agriculture produce from contract farming would attract 18 per cent GST. Addressing the concerns of sugarcane farmers of western UP, he said the MSP had been raised by 11 per cent and more steps to improve their lot were in the pipeline.

‘Totally misleading’

The effort was to portray its (NDA’s) failures as achievements... a farmer, not far away, died protesting against non-payment of cane dues. The PM did not utter a word. The project was announced by Chidambaram in his Budget speech and a steering group was set up by then PM Manmohan Singh.  Shaktisinh Gohil, AICC spokesperson