Congress made Rajasthan top in corruption, crime: Modi

JAIPUR: With the poll season in Rajasthan entering the final lap ahead of the November 25 polling for 200 Assembly seats, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday continued his attack on the state’s ruling Congress over its policy of appeasement, crime against women, deteriorating law and order situation.

Predicting the ouster of the Ashok Gehlot-led government from the state, Mr Modi, while addressing a public rally in Bharatpur, claimed that the Congress will vanish from the state after the election. He said: "3 December, Congress chhoomantar."

Later in the day, the PM addressed another rally in Nagaur, where he again highlighted the "red diary" issue and the tussle between the CM and his one-time deputy, Sachin Pilot.

Taunting the Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, the PM claimed that the people have decided not to vote for the "jadugar". Before Mr Gehlot entered politics, he toured the country performing magic tricks. His father was a professional magician.

"On the one hand, India is becoming a leader in the world. On the other hand, you all know what happened in Rajasthan in the last five years. The Congress has made Rajasthan a leader in corruption, riots, and crimes. That's why Rajasthan is saying -- Magician ji, you won't get any votes," Mr Modi said.

Mr Modi also accused the Congress of giving a free hand to criminals with its policy of appeasement. "Wherever the Congress comes, terrorists, criminals and rioters are let loose. Appeasement is everything for the Congress. The Congress can go to any extent for appeasement, even if it means putting your life at stake," Mr Modi said.

Accusing the Congress of being anti-Dalit, Mr Modi said that the state under the Congress' five-year rule has seen a maximum number of crimes against women and Dalits.

"Be it Holi, Ram Navami or Hanuman Jayanti, you people could not celebrate any festival peacefully. Riots, stone pelting, curfew -- all this continued in Rajasthan," he said.

The PM said the Congress has shattered the confidence of the women of Rajasthan.

"The chief minister says that women file fake rape cases. Can he protect women? Does such a chief minister have the right to remain in the chair even for a minute?" Mr Modi asked. 

He also called out a minister close to Mr Gehlot, without naming him, for terming Rajasthan a manly state, saying such remarks gave rise to crime against women.

The Congress should be ashamed of such a statement by its members, he said.

Mr Modi's comments apparently were directed at Rajasthan urban development and housing minister Shanti Dhariwal, who had last year attracted criticism for making light of incidents of rape in a comment.

Mr Modi said he wonders whether the minister was let go without punishment because he held some secrets of the CM.

"Instead of punishing this minister, the Congress gave him a reward. He got a ticket. So the people sitting in Delhi agreed with this sin. What other red diary does the magician's favourite minister have that has even made Delhi bow and give him a ticket?" he said.  

Mr Modi called the Congress "anti-Dalit" by nature, and alleged that the party could not digest a Dalit becoming a chief information commissioner. Heeralal Samariya, the newly appointed CIC, is a resident of the Deeg district of Rajasthan.

Mr Modi said the Congress even boycotted the meeting, which was held for the officer's appointment. "The Congress cannot see a Dalit officer reaching a higher post."

Later in the day, while addressing the Nagaur rally, Mr Modi took a swipe at the Congress over the tussle between Mr Gehlot and Mr Pilot, saying the two are only pretending to join hands for elections and there has been no reconciliation despite a hundred handshakes.

"Delhi Darbar has been busy trying to loot the chair of its own CM and the CM has been busy dealing with them. These people had left the people of Rajasthan to fend for themselves," the PM alleged.

"Now that the time for elections has come, these people are reluctantly getting themselves photographed together... Big leaders from Delhi come here and make the chief minister and another leader who wants to become the chief minister shake hands in front of the camera," Mr Modi said.