In a public discourse on Saturday, Congress luminary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra castigated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s electoral orations as vacuous rhetoric, asserting that he ought to internalize attributes akin to valor and resolve from erstwhile Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Addressing a congregation here to galvanize backing for Congress contender Gowaal Padvi from the Nandurbar Constituency in Maharashtra, the day after PM Modi delivered a public address in this tribal-laden precinct, she indicted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of disregarding the customs and heritage of adivasis (tribals).
“All that Modiji articulates are ‘hollow utterances’ that lack substance. Yesterday, he professed reverence for Shabri. So, why did he remain mum when numerous Shabris endured atrocities in Unnao and Hathras? Why did he not denounce the plight when female wrestlers took to the streets protesting against harassment, yet the BJP endorses the candidacy of the offspring of the accused individual,” she contended, alluding to BJP functionary Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who faces allegations of sexual misconduct.
She expounded that Lord Ram revered the common populace and was steadfast in fulfilling their desires. “What type of leader do you seek? One who traverses 4,000 kilometers to comprehend your predicaments or a leader whose attire bears no trace of dust and recoils from proximity to you. Do you desire a leader who assuages your anguish or one who sheds feigned tears on the stage? Do you yearn for a leader who exhibits fearlessness and speaks unvarnished truth regardless of pressure, or one who perpetuates falsehoods,” she interrogated.
She also probed if the populace desires politics rooted in principles, service, and dedication, or politics swathed in power and self-aggrandizement. Reviving her family’s longstanding connection with Nandurbar, she recounted how her grandmother and former PM Indira Gandhi invariably initiated her electoral campaigns from this locality. “She cherished whatever affection you bestowed upon her. My mother imbibed the ethos of respecting you from Indira Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi toiled to safeguard your entitlements to water and forests,” she iterated.
Indira Gandhi, she recalled, would visit the domiciles of individuals with a deferential mien to grasp their predicaments, adding that Rahul Gandhi traversed the length and breadth of the nation to apprehend people’s aspirations and sentiments. “But can you show me a solitary photograph of Modi ji visiting the abodes of tribals and underprivileged individuals to fathom their predicaments? He approaches you solely to further his political agendas. If the PM vowed to deposit Rs 15 lakh in your bank accounts and provide employment to two crore people, it should have transpired within 10 years,” she emphasized.
The Congress general secretary contended that it behooves political leaders to venerate the customs and traditions of adivasis, asserting that the BJP evinces no reverence for these tenets. “President Droupadi Murmu, hailing from the adivasi community, was neither accorded the privilege to inaugurate the new Parliament building nor invited to partake in the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. When it comes to extending genuine deference, Modi ji recoils,” she alleged.
“He asserts that he battles solo against corruption…You (PM) wield untrammeled power and official machinery at your disposal. Your party acolytes aver that you rank among the foremost leaders globally, enjoying the patronage of heads of state across the globe…You bemoan like a child during elections, claiming victimization…. Summon courage, Modiji, for this is the domain of public life,” she urged.
“Draw lessons from Indira Gandhi…The woman, akin to Durga, who bifurcated Pakistan. Learn from her valor, courage, and resolve. Yet, you brand her anti-national; what lessons can you glean from her,” she reflected. Instead of attuning to the travails of the populace, the prime minister laments about being targeted, Gandhi alleged. “Politics serves as a conduit for serving people, whereas Modiji has transformed politics into a conduit for personal empowerment,” she contended.
Characterizing PM Modi as the “champion” of magnates rather than the underprivileged, she indicted him for diminishing the dignity of the premier post. “It is incumbent upon you to perceive reality and vote judiciously. Ponder over the type of leadership and government you desire. Erroneous decisions will chart an irrevocable course for the nation,” she cautioned the gathering.
She averred that the bedrock of Congress’ political ethos is treading the path of truth while keeping in mind that the people of India reign supreme. This bedrock was laid by Mahatma Gandhi, she asserted, and several Congress luminaries have espoused this principle. “Why do myriad BJP luminaries espouse altering the Constitution? It is because PM Modi has sanctioned it,” she alleged.