Amitabh, Aishwarya, Adani at Ram Temple inauguration; where were the poor and unemployed: Rahul in Chhattisgarh

Amitabh, Aishwarya, Adani at Ram Temple inauguration; where were the poor and unemployed: Rahul in Chhattisgarh

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, addressing a gathering during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, said people are chanting Jai Shri Ram round the clock but are not seeing that they are being looted by rich businessmen. He said that even during the Ram Mandir inauguration last month, only celebrities and industrialists were invited, while no poor people could be seen.

The yatra began at 9 am from Chhattisgarh’s Korba and moved towards Ambikapur in Surguja district. Gandhi said he wanted to hear people’s Mann ki Baat. He asked a coal worker and an ex-Army jawan from the crowd to sit in his jeep while addressing the crowd.

“Did you see anyone poor in the Ram Mandir inauguration? You saw Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Adani, Ambani and all businessmen. Poor, labourers, unemployed, farmers were not seen; only billionaires were present,” he said.

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He said that “the 200 big universities or big hospitals in our country are not owned by STs, SCs or OBCs. Are you sleeping? You have accepted defeat. You chant Jai Shri Ram Jai, Shri Ram for 24 hours… that is all okay, but you are being looted every day. You are dying hungry”.

Gandhi handed over the mic to a coal worker who was seated with him. He said, “My son has done B.Tech but is not getting a job. I spent Rs 5 lakh on his studies but Modi is asking us to sell pakodas.”

While passing through Korba, known for mining activities, Gandhi said Coal India belongs to the people and was being strangled by the government.

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“Government does not own Coal India, you people own it. Government is strangling Coal India and in the future will say it’s not economically viable so it should be given to Adani. People like this coal worker will be given VRS. He spent a lot of money in a private hospital for the treatment of a family member and paid hefty fees to get his son educated, but if tomorrow when their children want loans to do business, he will not get it,” Gandhi said.

Before heading out of Korba, Gandhi met the Bunkar (weaver) association in Churi Kala village where the silk saree manufacturing business is on the decline.

Yeshwant Dewangan, a textile engineer, who briefed Gandhi about the issues, told The Indian Express, “We have been in the business for five generations. But we are not able to make a lot of money as there is a huge gap between manufacturers like us and buyers, due to which our business is on the decline. Also, technology is bleeding us. At present our weavers make around Rs 300 per day.”

“Rahul ji asked us how our work is done and suggested we adopt Japanese technology so we can keep our designs and quality up to market standards. We said a focus on the cooperative sector and new schemes for them is needed. He did not promise anything but it felt good to meet him and express our issues,” said Dewangan.

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