The Congress on Tuesday defended party leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) approached the Election Commission over his remarks about investments in Maharashtra being transferred to Gujarat.
The BJP had alleged that Rahul Gandhi was trying to create enmity between states.
On Tuesday, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told ANI that several projects and investments meant for Maharashtra have been moved to Gujarat.
“What are they complaining about? What has Rahul Gandhi said? Everyone has said it. It has been printed in newspapers that several projects and investments that were scheduled to come to Maharashtra have been shifted by the PM to Gujarat. That is what we have said, that you have discriminated against Maharashtra,” Ramesh told the news agency.
He added: “You (BJP) speak of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. So, bring development in all states.”
The Congress General Secretary in-charge for Communications and MP from Rajya Sabha also said that people who want to invest in Maharashtra shouldn’t be threatened to move to Gujarat because the former state already has infrastructure in place.
“Those who want to invest in Maharashtra, you can’t threaten them and tell them to go to Gujarat. We will welcome if Gujarat gets investments for projects, but don’t stop those who want to invest in Maharashtra, which has the infrastructure in place. This is what Rahul Gandhi has said, and the data is also available on this,” he added.
Ramesh also expressed confidence of winning the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, saying that the party and its alliance partners would get a clear mandate.
“We are confident that the public will support us. The negative political campaigning of BJP, especially that of the PM, Amit Shah, UP CM and Assam CM who are busy spreading communal poison will be rejected by the public,” Ramesh told the news agency.
What BJP told the Election Commission
On Monday, a delegation led by Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal met the poll panel officials over remarks made by Rahul Gandhi on November 6 in Maharashtra.
“Rahul Gandhi tried to lie once again for the Maharashtra Election, he attempted to pit states against each other, he waved the Constitution and lied again that the BJP is about to destroy the Constitution. This is false. We said that this should be stopped,” Meghwal said.
Meghwal said the delegation further told the poll governing body that the Congress leader is “habitual in doing this and is not deterring from this despite warnings and notices”. The BJP has asked for an FIR to be lodged against Rahul under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) Section 353, he added.