Mounting an attack on Narendra Modi and BJP for practising an “ideology rooted in communalism”, Priyanka Gandhi on Wednesday kick-started the poll campaign in her mother Sonia Gandhi’s constituency here projecting the Lok Sabha polls as a battle between two ideologies.
“You are seeing two opposite kinds of politics in this election. On the one hand there is an ideology of Congress which believes in unity…Which is of the view that everybody should come together.
“On the other hand, there is an ideology to the contrary which is rooted in communalism. They might say anything but the internal truth is that their purpose is to propogate communalism and divide,” Priyanka said addressing a public meeting in Raahi village which falls under Rae Bareli town Assembly segment.
Taking a dig at Modi without naming him, she said the other ideology believes that power has to be centred amongst few selected persons.
Priyanka said those who believe in such an ideology say, “Listen to me, I will take all decisions. All capacities are within me and you should vote seeing this. You have to think whether power has to come to people or should it be centred in the hands of one person. Whether unity should be promoted in the nation or communalism.”
Earlier addressing a meeting in Raseta, Priyanka had said, “There is one ideology under which we want to empower common people. All our schemes have been made keeping in mind the objectives that you should be strengthened.
“On the other hand, there is another ideology in which all powers are centred in one person’s hand where one man’s decision will be applicable to all and all government policies and programmes will be aimed at some selected people. This is a separate ideology,” she said, without naming Modi.
Priyanka, who addressed about a dozen meetings in different villages, also sought to explain to people that the responsibility for the repair and upkeep of roads lies with the state government.
Opposition parties have been making a big issue of the dilapidated condition of roads and lack of civic amenities in the high-profile constituency.
“I often hear the locals did not get jobs in the rail coach factory which has opened here. But when a factory like this is opened, a job in it is not the only way to create employment for them. They also get other benefits like shooting up of land prices and creation of different kinds opportunities later on,” she said.
“As far as repair and upkeep of roads are concerned, the central government has no role into it. These are the state government’s responsibility. Sometimes this job is not carried out properly,” Priyanka said.
Insisting that a number of development work like rural road construction and electrification in villages was done in the constituency by Sonia Gandhi, she said, “The Centre built the road. But its repair work in the responsibility of the state.
“We are not in the government in the state. Rural electrification work was carried out in every village with central funds but there are complaints that there is no electricity. Power supply is the job of the state government,” she said.
