No ‘sudden’ silence, Adani-Ambani a Rahul refrain, in this campaign too
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that Rahul Gandhi had, all of a “sudden,” fallen silent on Adani and Ambani don’t match with the Congress leader’s campaign speeches.
Over the last one week, reference to “Adani and Ambani” has figured in almost every Rahul speech.
Consider these:
⬛ May 7, Jharkhand: Flagging the need for greater representation for tribals, Rahul said: “The BJP says you are vanvasi and they will give all the forest land to Adani. He gives forest land to Adani (all) 24 hours…Whatever he does is for billionaires. He has 22-25 friends like Adani and Ambani and whatever work is being done is for them only. The land is for them, the forest is for them, the media is theirs, infrastructure is theirs, flyovers are theirs, petrol is theirs…everything is for them. Dalits, tribals, those from the backward communities used to get reservation in the public sector…now they are privatizing everything…He gives everything to (Adani)… People from the media are here…they are not yours….they are of the billionaires, they work for them…they will show Ambani’s wedding 24 hours.”
⬛ May 6, Khargone (Madhya Pradesh): “The whole public sector will disappear, and the country will be ruled by 22-25 people. Who are these people? They are the billionaires of India, and people like Adani whose eyes are on your land, forest and water. They want these things to be snatched from you and be handed over to them. And they are Narendra Modi’s special friends. Have you heard the name of Adani? The PM wants to give Adani your land, water and forest… All the airports, power stations, ports, infrastructure has been given by PM Modi to these 22-25 people. He has never waived off your loans, but he has waived off loans of 22 richest people for Rs 16 lakh crore. Imagine that Rs 16 lakh crore has been waived off for people like Adani.”
⬛ May 6, Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh): “The press never talks about the adivasis. It will show the marriage of Ambani, Bollywood, dancing. But when atrocities happen on adivasis, and your land is taken away, they don’t show it… Narendra Modi has waived off loans of 22 people who are billionaires. If they can give money to the rich, we can to Dalits, Backwards, Tribals and poor from general category.”
⬛ May 5, Nagakurnool (Telangana): “BJP is a party of 2-3 percent. Whatever Modi has done in the last ten years was for 22 people. He waived off the loans worth lakhs and crores of people like Adani. The country’s airports, ports, infrastructure, defence industry…he handed over all that to one person.”
⬛ May 4, Delhi: “There are no Dalits, Adivasis, backwards and poor people belonging to the general category in the media…..See corporate India. The biggest 200 companies… You will not find anyone from SC, ST, backward communities and poor in the general category…Has your or any relatives’ loan been waived? Loans worth Rs 16 lakh crore of Adani ji and 22 billionaires have been waived. (This) is money for MGNREGA for 24 years”
⬛ May 2, Shivamogga (Karnataka): “In the last ten years, he has worked for 22 people. He put India’s wealth in the pockets of 22 people…in the pockets of Adani, Ambani and such people…We are going to make crores of lakhpatis.”
The argument that the Government patronises a small group of the super-rich and the recurring naming of Adani-Ambani have been pet themes of Gandhi’s counter since 2015. In fact, the frequent mention of the two business groups has drawn criticism, even from within the party, as many have argued that the Congress — which ushered in liberalisation in the 1990s — should not send a message that it was anti-business or anti-corporate.
Way back in April 2015, nearly a year after the Congress was decimated in the Lok Sabha elections and returning from his 56-day sabbatical, Gandhi, during an intervention in Lok Sabha, termed the Narendra Modi government a “suit-boot ki sarkar”. It became a recurring theme of his Parliament speeches since 2018. In the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he picked on the Rafale fighter jet deal to raise allegations of corruption even after the Supreme Court, in December 2018, dismissed pleas asking for a probe into it and said it was satisfied that “there was no occasion to doubt the process.”
Slogans and campaigns like “suit-boot ki sarkar”, “chowkidaar chor hai” and the “hum do hamare do”, however, were not seen as being electorally beneficial to the Congress but Rahul has persisted with his line of attack.
So much so that, he displayed a photograph of Modi with Adani together during a speech in Lok Sabha in February last year to claim proximity between them and listed out the business deals the Adani Group has got since 2014 accusing the government of flouting rules and facilitating the group’s meteoric rise.
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