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The country's political temperature in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections - and with it, posturing - rose on Sunday as three key leaders from three parties addressed rallies in three states. While the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi accused the Congress of playing "fraud" with the armed forces and labelled it a party that was "ABCD of corruption", Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi took him on over the Lok Ayukta issue and charged BJP with "practising politics of blood". Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal, on the other hand, attacked both BJP and the Congress as "hand-in-glove on corruption" and favouring a few top industrialists.
Modi, in a saffron turban, was addressing a 'fateh' (victory) rally in Ludhiana, with leaders from ruling ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on the dais. Slamming the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre for dallying on former soldiers' 'one-rank, one-pension' demand, he also mocked Rahul Gandhi's pitch on fighting corruption.
Dismissing as "rumours and a pack of lies" the controversy about dispossession and migration of Sikh farmers from Gujarat's Kutch region, Modi, also that state's chief minister, promised no Sikh farmer would ever have to leave Gujarat.
He described the BJP-SAD alliance in Punjab as a symbol of Hindu-Sikh unity, which had ended the "Congress' game of divide and rule". In his 30-minute speech at a packed ground, he was unsparing on the Congress, while also hitting the Gandhi family. "I am surprised that the leader of Congress is now engaged in raising fingers on other political parties on the issue of corruption, when its own identity is the ABCD of corruption," he said, referring to the Adarsh, Bofors and coal scams.
Referring to the government's acceptance of the ex-soldiers' pension equality demand some days earlier, after a Rahul Gandhi endorsement, he noted the party had been in power for 10 years, and had sat on the demand. Even now, he said, there was no provision in the Budget for this. "They've been playing a farce with the armed forces," he declared.
Saying his only aim was development, he promised to be a ‘chowkidar’ (watchman) at the Centre if voted to power. Many words were devoted to farm issues — value addition on produce, reforming the Food Corporation of India, raising yields as land holdings got smaller.
Rahul Gandhi
In Dehradun, Rahul Gandhi charged BJP of pitting one religion against another and one caste against another to come to power at any cost. “They won’t hesitate in spilling blood if they find it necessary to (get to) power,” he declared. He also attacked the party for blocking anti-graft legislation; in which regard, he noted Modi had declined to fill the Lok Ayukta (ombudsman) office in his state till a court order had compelled it.
The Congress, he said, represented the idea of a secular India, which could not be removed. “Their (BJP’s) leader says obliterate the Congress... They should read the Gita. It says, work for others with humility... Buddha could not be eradicated. Nor could Ashoka and Akbar... The Congress cannot be erased. We will fight. We will win. We will form the government,” he said.
“Rajiv Gandhi spoke about computers. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the biggest BJP leader then, who later became prime minister, said India does not need it. It will destroy farmers... Now, they (BJP) claim they brought the telecom revolution. They have no vision. They have no idea about what India needs,” he said.
He highlighted the UPA’s decision to raise the number of subsidised cylinders for households in a year from nine to 12, and passage of the right to education and food laws to argue the Congress was the only party that understood the common citizen’s concerns. Next, he said, it would bring a law to ensure health care to all and then push the women’s reservation Bill. India could not be a superpower if its women were not empowered. “The Congress will give tickets to women wherever they can. I am standing with you.”
He also noted the government’s enactment of a right to information and spoke of his own role in the Lok Pal law’s passage. Noting that arrogance had no place in politics, Gandhi said only a political party governed by the golden principle of compassion for others could sustain in India.
“Congress khadi rahegi. Humein mitane wale khud mit jayenge. Hum chunaav jeet kar rahenge (Those who seek to destroy us will themselves perish; we shall sweep the elections),” he declared.
Arvind Kejriwal
As for AAP’s Kejriwal, he lashed at both major parties. Addressing a rally in his home state of Haryana, his first address since he stepped down as the chief minister of Delhi, he challenged Modi to “show guts” in giving a promise to bring back the unaccounted money of his industrialist friends, allegedly stashed abroad, if he became prime minister.
Attacking both Modi and Gandhi over corruption and accusing their parties of favouring top industrialists, Kejriwal said any government led by either would actually be run by magnate Mukesh Ambani. During his 49-day tenure as Delhi’s chief minister, he’d ordered the filing of a case against Ambani and Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily, among others, accusing them of manipulating gas prices.
“(Reliance Industries Chairman) Mukesh Ambani has Modi in one pocket and Rahul Gandhi in the other... He can allow Modi to have a five-year term and also give Rahul Gandhi five years to rule,” said the AAP chief.
He termed Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda a “property dealer”, who took away land from farmers and gave it to companies such as Ambani’s Reliance and businessmen like Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law, Robert Vadra.
Kejriwal did not he spare the media, either, saying a section of it was biased and controlled by big industrialists with vested interests. He said he’d stepped down as CM of Delhi as he did not want to compromise on principles after the Congress and BJP prevented introduction of the Jan Lok Pal Bill in the legislative Assembly.
“Certain newspapers and TV channels are saying I quit because I wanted to run away from governance. I am willing to give my life but I will not compromise on principles. I have showed that I have no love for the chair.”
He said he would quit politics if anyone could prove what his administration did in 49 days had been done by any other government in the past, within such a timeframe, on power and water rates and corruption.
In his 45-minute speech, Kejriwal also charged both Modi and Gandhi with splurging money on poll campaigning and image building, and questioned the source of this money. He claimed Ambani knew whether it was the Congress-led or BJP-led government that was coming to power. “He (Ambani) is always in a win-win situation.... We have to end this.”
The AAP leader debunked opinion polls and surveys. “Money changes hands behind such surveys,” he alleged. He also rejected criticism of the language used by AAP leaders. “I want to tell them that we may be rural people and the way we speak may not please all but we don’t indulge in misdeeds like them.”
He lashed out at those who claimed his government had not delivered on its promises and failed in governance. And, said AAP would again form the government in Delhi, after coming to power with a majority.
