“The Gujarat Model lives on selling off all public assets to private players. Ram naam japna, paraya maal apna seems to be the guiding principle,” boomed Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday. He was speaking at a public rally in Lucknow. Also present at the event were state Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu and other party leaders.
As poll campaigning reaches a feverish pitch in the election-bound UP, both the ruling UP and the Oppostion, have taken to hauling each other. Mr Baghel further added: “Two states are being talked about as model for governance — Gujarat and Chhattisgarh. However, the Gujarat Model is a handiwork of the Prime Minister and leaves us all in suffering. The BJP began by promising free gas cylinders. At no point was it completely free. It was priced at Rs 400 and just when households got used to cooking on the LPG, the price tag sky-rocketed to Rs 1,000. They are businessmen. First, get the consumers hooked on to their product and then hike the rate.”
Mr Baghel hailed the Congress Model wherein soon after formation of government in Chhattisgarh, farmer and SME loans of worth Rs 9,000 crore were waived off.
Later in the day, he also dotted the campaign rally at Lakhimpur Kheri. “Gujarat is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi who led the fight for independence and of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who ensured the integration of the country. Modern day Gujarat is the birthplace of not two but four people. Two who sell and two who buy. Two are selling off while two are buying away.”
Mr Baghel also narrated to the public that while convening arrangements for the event, the Congress was told not to rake up the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.
“I am a farmer by birth. How does one overlook the incident? Innocent farmers on a peaceful protest were run over by Teni’s son. But we should all keep quiet. Is this a democracy anymore?” he questioned from the public dais.
