Shivraj government's dharma is corruption: Rahul

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "removing" CBI chief Alok Verma following an internal conflict in the agency and alleged that Madhya Pradesh's Shivraj Singh Chouhan government is pursuing a "dharma of corruption".

Addressing a rally in the poll-bound state, Gandhi also targeted the Modi government over jobs, saying he (Gandhi) feels upset to see a number of products with "Made in China" written on them.

Gandhi alleged that the Chouhan government was involved in the Vyapam scam and also accused it of financial irregularities while organising Simhastha Kumbh in Ujjain in 2016.

"Nearly 50 persons were killed in the aftermath of Vyapam scam. The state's education infrastructure has been finished. They talk of dharma but their dharma is corruption. They did not spare even the Kumbh. There was corruption in (Simhastha) Kumbh...the cost was inflated nearly 10 times. There was a demand for CBI inquiry...but even the CBI Director has been removed by Modi," he said.

The Congress chief targeted Modi over the Rafale deal as well and alleged there was corruption from top to bottom.

He also accused Finance Minister Arun Jaitley of remaining silent on the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam "to protect his lawyer daughter", who, he said, was a paid retainer of accused Mehul Choksi.

"There is 'chowkidar' (watchman) on top, there is Arun Jaitley below and further below Shivraj Singh Chouhan. There is corruption at every level," he said, adding that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders take money from the people of state even for small works.

Gandhi said the Modi government has waived off loans of big industrialists but when farmers want their waiver of their loans, where the amount involved in much less, Jaitley would not oblige.

"We will waive off farmer loans in 10 days. I do not make false promises. If the Congress Chief Minister is not able to waive off loans in 10 days, there will be a new Chief Minister," he said.

The Congress will not do a favour to farmers by waiving off their loans, as this is their right, he added.

Listing the "failures" of the Modi government, he said it has not fulfilled promises like creating job opportunities for the youth, unearthing black money and raising the minimum support price of crops, among others.

Earlier, Gandhi reached Ujjain by a special flight on a two-day visit to the state. He performed special puja at the Mahakaleshwar temple. He was accompanied by state Congress President Kamal Nath and poll campaign in-charge Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Elections to the state Assembly will be held in Madhya Pradesh on November 28. The Congress is seeking to oust the BJP which has been in power in the state for the past 15 years.

--IANS

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