Rajnath plays doctor for nation’s ills, prescribes ‘Modicine’
Promising farmers insurance cover to screen them from income loss, and unemployed youth loans at low interest to start business ventures, BJP president Rajnath Singh Wednesday prescribed one medicine for other problems ailing the country — “Modicine”.
Addressing a primarily rural electorate in eastern Uttar Pradesh for the last phase of Lok Sabha polls in Lalganj, Azamgarh, Ballia, Ghazipur and Robertsganj, he blamed Mulayam Singh Yadav-led SP and Mayawati-led BSP for supporting the Congress-led UPA and thus being equally responsible for price rise and alleged corruption at the centre.
“The country is buffeted by ailments. You take Anacin for headache and Crocin for fever. I present you with ‘Modicine’ for problems ailing the country,” Singh said referring to Narendra Modi.
The BJP president’s campaign appeared to be targeted at wooing farmers and unemployed youth in this rural and backward region of UP.
“When there can be an insurance for motor bikes, trucks, houses and individuals, there should be an insurance for farmers’ income. I devised such a plan as Union agriculture minister during Vajpayee regime. It will be revived to ensure income of farmers,” Singh promised at each of his rallies that drew public support when he sought to elaborate the contours of the farm insurance. He promised “Pradhan Mantri Gram Sinchai (irrigation) Scheme” for farmers.
He promised unemployed youth cheap loans for promoting self-employment. “It will be difficult to promise government jobs to everyone. But every youth can be imparted with some skill on the basis of which they can be self-employed. Initial capital will be provided at 2-3-4 per cent interest against 12-14 per cent prevailing rate,” said Singh. He explained where the money would come from by invoking Kuber from mythology whose immense wealth is never depleted. “Government coffers are like Kuber ka khazaana (treasure),” he said.
While BJP national election campaign focussed primarily on alleged misgovernance of Congress-led UPA, the BJP president sought to blame SP and BSP as well.
“Congress did not have majority at the centre. Congress ran its government with support from Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati and they are indulging in shadow boxing during the elections. Were Mulayam and Mayawati blind to corruption and price rise during UPA regime that they continued supporting them for 10 years? BJP had once allied with BSP in Uttar Pradesh and we have been kept out of power here for 12 years now. SP and BSP should be punished for 20 years for having supported the Congress-led UPA at the centre,” he said and claimed he had opposed BJP’s alliance with BSP over a decade ago.
Attacking the SP government in the state, he said “there appears no rule of law”.
The BJP president did not repeat BJP general secretary Amit Shah’s remarks that Azamgarh was a terror hub. He was not drawn into the issue of BJP candidate from Ballia Bharat Singh reportedly calling his rival Quaumi Ekta Dal candidate Afzal Ansari a
“Pakistani agent, a confidant of Dawood Ibrahim”. Instead, the BJP president focused on farmers, unemployed youth and “Modicine”.
(Source: https://indianexpress.com)