Congress delivered nothing in 72 years, now promising Rs 72,000 to poor: Dinesh Sharma

GORAKHPUR: Attacking the Congress over its poll promise of giving Rs 72,000 to poor families, Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma on Thursday said that those who did not give Rs 72 in 72 years are now making tall claims.


He also claimed that while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was promoting nationalism, the Congress was backing anti-nationals by pledging to scrap the sedition law if voted to power.

In a big-bang poll promise, the Congress president had on March 25 announced that Rs 72,000 per year will be given as minimum income to poor families, benefiting around 25 crore people, if his party is voted to power in Lok Sabha polls.

"Those who didn't give Rs 72 to the people in 72 years are now talking about giving Rs 72,000 to them. They are only making false promises and deviating people from the right path," Sharma said at an election rally in

Kushinagar district

in support of party candidate Vijay Dubey.

"They (Congress) broke their promise of loan waiver of farmers in 10 days in Chhattisgarh but in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has achieved the task of farmers loan waiver. There is a stark difference of character and action between the two parties," he said further.

He also drew comparisons between prime minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

"Modi ji looks at Pakistan and they start shivering while the national president of a party winks and even the children of country laugh (at him)," Sharma said.

The 2019 elections is a fight between two ideologies, Sharma said, adding that in one corner was the BJP, which talks about nationalism and on the other was the Congress-led opposition which talks about dividing the country.

"We talk about punishing anti-nationals and the opposition talks about ending sedition law. We enter Pakistan and kill terrorists and they talk about writing letters (to them)," he said.

Slamming the Congress president, Sharma alleged, "He insulted the people of India when he said 'Chowkidar Chor hai' but today people are saying

Chowkidar

is not chor but pure. It is certain that Modi ji will become PM again... People understand everything," he said.