BJP leader Nitin Gadkari today alleged that Congress has "destroyed" the country with scams during its regime and accused it of indulging in corruption even when the state was hit by a calamity.
BJP leader Nitin Gadkari today alleged that Congress has "destroyed" the country with scams during its regime and accused it of indulging in corruption even when the state was hit by a calamity.
"The last 68 years of the history of our country are of cheating and betrayal. Congress has destroyed the nation.
There were scams of crores of rupees like 2G, coal during its regime...
"It is very sad that the Uttarakhand government indulged in corruption even when it was time to help people hit hard by the calamity," the Road Transport and Highways Minister said, apparently referring to the 2013 Kedarnath tradegy.
Taking a dig at Sonia Gandhi, he said while addressing a rally here, the Congress president is "not worried" about providing jobs to youths of the hill areas as her main concern is to get one for her son Rahul Gandhi.
"Sonia is not worried whether the youths of hill areas of Uttarakhand will get jobs, she is more concerned about Rahul's employment," he claimed.
Naming various Congress leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, he said the party had always raised the issue of eradication of poverty but none of its leaders succeeded in it.
"They (Congress leaders) kept on winning elections on that slogan but the condition of Dalits, villagers, the poor, farmers and labours has not yet improved. Only the sycophants and near and dear ones of Congress leaders were able to come out of the poverty," he alleged.
Gadkari said even after all these years of Independence, people of the country are still poor. The nation is rich but the population is poor because of wrong economic policy, visionless leadership and corruption, he added.
Alleging that Congress has indulged in creating communal disharmony, Gadkari said, "It has created fear to get votes." On the other hand, the minister said, the BJP government does not differ on the basis of religion, caste or language but believes in Sabka saath sabka vikas (collective efforts, inclusive growth).
"Poor is poor. Whether a person is Hindu or Muslim, the rate of petrol or gas is same for them," he said.
On the Rs 12,000 crore 'Char Dham' project, he said the 900 km all-weather-road will improve connectivity between Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.
"I promise you that before the end of 2018, it will be inaugurated...the road will be made in such a way that even in 200 years nothing will happen to it," he said.
Gadkari also spoke about developing Auli, a ski destination in Chamoli district, as a world class tourist place on the lines of Davos in Switzerland.
Noting that investment in tourism increases job opportunities, he said, "I promise you that 10,000 youths of the hill areas of the state will get the jobs due to various tourism-related initiatives."
The minister also addressed the rally at Tanakpur town in Champawat district and Kotdwar.
(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
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