By
LS Herdenia
BHOPAL: Rahul Gandhi’s stern warning
to the Chief Minister and Ministers to perform otherwise they will be replaced,
declaration by Kamal Nath and Scindia that “Rahul Gandhi is the next Prime
Minister of the Country”, and veteran BJP leader Ram Krishna Kusumaria
embracing the Congress were some of the highlights of the party’s rally held in
Bhopal on Friday.
The rally was named as the thanks
giving Kisan conclave. It was claimed that Kisans have come to Bhopal to thank
Congress Rahul Gandhi under whose direction Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal
Nath waived the farmers loan next day after assuming power.
Two months after Congress ended its 15
year exile from power in Madhya Pradesh, AICC president Rahul Gandhi arrived in
Bhopal on Friday to “thank the state from the heart” and to sound the bugle for
Lok Sabh campaign.
“After winning Madhya Pradesh,
Chhatisgarh and Rajasthan Congress will form government in Delhi”, Rahul said.
Chief Minister Kamal Nath hailed the AICC chief as the “future prime minister”
and Congress MP Jyotiradiya Scindia called for victory in all 29 Lok Sabha
seats in MP to “make Rahul the PM”.
Rahul mocked the Narendra Modi
government’s Rs. 6,000 a year assistance to small and marginal farmers. “I had
promised farms loan waiver within 10 days of Congress coming to power. Kamal
Nath fulfilled the promise and Narednra Modi panicked. I have realised that you
can frighten Narendra Modi and get any work done. I said I will waive loans of
farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhastigarh. Narendra Modi said he
will also work for farmers and then BJP MPS were thumping the tables for five
minutes. Dhara-dhar, Dhara-Dhar table thumping. I wondered what did he do? Then
I came to know he gave Rs. 17 per day to India’s farmers. Divide this again by
the members of a farming family and it is just Rs. 3.50 per day per person. And
yet the BJP government wrote off Rs. 3.5 lakh crore loans of 15 big
industrialists”. Rahul said.
The MP Congress registered big boost
when a highly respected former BJP veteran leader Ramkrishna Kusumaria joined
the Congress in the presence of Rahul Gandhi. After joining Congress Kusumaria,
five term MP and Minister recalled that “It was Rajmata (Vijayaraje Scindia)
who made me a char-anna (four annas) BJP member. Because of the working of the
BJP I had to leave that party and come to the Congress fold and now I am being
welcomed by her grandson”.
“You know that in the BJP, veterans
and elderly are being humiliated. They say Raja Kansa imprisoned his father to
rule. Today’s BJP, the party that claims it is traditional, ill treats its
veterans. I will work where I am respected and there is opportunity to work”.
An emotional Kusmariya, fondly called Babaji by BJP workers, said.
He was still dressed in his trademark
saffron kurta, but he received full respect from his new party leaders when he
reached the dais.
Congress leaders seated Ramkrishna
Kusmaria on the front row with leaders like All India Congress Committee
president Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Kamal Nath, former chief minister
Digvijay Singh, former Union minister Suresh Pachauri and Jyotiradita Scindia.
Kusmaria was asked to address the crowd from the same podium as Rahul Gandihhi.
“I come from Bundelkhand, have been
many times MP and as state Agriculture Minister initiated organic farming. It
was during my tenure as Agriculture Mminister that Madhya Pradesh repeatedly
won the Krishi Karman award” he said. Kamal Nath, he said was a simple and hard
working Chief Minister.
With Kusmaria in the party Congress will
immensely gain in Bundelkhand. The caste to which he belongs has substantial
presence in Bundelkhand.
Gopal Bhargava, leader of opposition
claimed that the Rally was a flop. He said that it spells out the Lok Sabha
Election results. A flop rally before the Lok Sabha polls is an indication of
things to come. Bhargava added.
“The rally exposed the promises which
the Congress had made. It was first public rally in Bhopal after Congress took
over charge in Madhya Pradesh. Absence of farmers in thanks giving rally
exposed the tall promises made by the Congress before assembly elections” BJP
leader said adding “Chief Minister Kamal Nath had announced that 2.5 lakh
farmers will attend the rally but hardly 20,000 people attended the rally”. (IPA Service)
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