Chhattisgarh polls: PM attacks Cong on corruption, OBC neglect; says countdown has begun for exit of Baghel govt

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hit out at the Congress over corruption as well as neglect of the Other Backward Classes and said the countdown for its exit from Chhattisgarh had begun.

Addressing public rallies in Mungeli and Mahasamund districts in the state, where the second phase of Assembly polls will be held on November 17, the PM said the Congress' only aim was to loot Chhattisgarh and fill its own coffers, adding that Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel's son, other kin and officials had destroyed the state in this manner by acting as ''super CM''.

The Congress had not implemented reservations for OBCs despite being in power from ''panchayat to Parliament'' for several years since Independence, the PM said.

Taking a dig at the Congress on a purported agreement on sharing the CM's post between Baghel and TS Singh Deo, which eventually never took off, Modi said a party that can ditch its own senior leaders would certainly cheat people and not fulfil promises made to them.

Asserting that Baghel himself was going to lose the Assembly polls, Modi said, ''The Congress has also understood that now its time is over in Chhattisgarh. Some journalist friends from Delhi and political analysts have told me the chief minister is himself going to lose (from Patan seat).'' ''The Congress hates Modi. They have started hating even Modi's caste. Some mahagyani Congress leaders from Delhi have been saying during their public meetings in Chhattisgarh that Modi is from the OBC (Other Backward Classes)..For the last several months, Congress has been abusing the entire OBC community in the name of Modi...They have even refused to apologise after a court directed them to do so,'' he said.

In the previous (2019 Lok Sabha) elections, these people (Congress leaders) were calling the OBC community ''thief'' by way of attacks on Modi, the PM claimed.

''This is an example of how much hatred they have for the OBC community. It is the Congress which insulted Babasaheb Ambedkar. It is the Congress which conspired to end Babasaheb's politics. It is the BJP which created Babasaheb's panchteerth (pilgrimage centres),'' he said.

''What they (Congress) did to the Sahu community (an influential OBC community in Chhattisgarh) for five years is not hidden from anyone. Hence, the mentality of the Congress has to be recognised. It is the same Congress which was in power from panchayat to Parliament, but they didn't implement reservation for OBCs,'' he said.

The Congress did not give constitutional status to the OBC Commission for decades nor did it implement quota for this segment in medical colleges, but Modi gave people a guarantee to fulfil these demands and did it, the PM told the gathering.

''It is the Congress that never allowed tribal leadership to emerge, while BJP gave the country its first tribal president. It is fortunate I am an MP from Kashi, which is the land of Sant Kabir and Sant Ravidas We have seen what the Congress has done with Satnami Samaj (a Scheduled Caste community) in Chhattisgarh. The Congress can do anything for vote banks and appeasement,'' he said.

Attacking Baghel, the PM claimed dedicated senior Congress leaders were angry at the CM and were trying to ensure his defeat in the Assembly polls.

''The old and dedicated people in the Congress have been sidelined. They are annoyed and are feeling cheated by the CM and the party high command. When the Congress government was formed in Chhattisgarh (in 2018), there was a '2.5 year power sharing agreement' for the CM post. Have you ever seen any party which does such an agreement within its own house,'' he said.

''He (Baghel) misused his position in 2.5 years and committed scams to the tune of thousands of crores of rupees and changed the entire game. After completion of 2.5 years, he opened the treasury for Delhi and purchased everyone. The power sharing agreement was abandoned, which made Congress old-timers unhappy,'' Modi claimed.

The people realise that when such a big betrayal can happen within the party, then promises made to them will definitely not be fulfilled, Modi said.

Asserting that Baghel's son, his kin and officials close to this group were acting as ''super CM'' and had looted and destroyed Chhattisgarh, Modi said people were unhappy, because of which it was now difficult for a chief minister to even become an MLA.

Targeting Baghel over the alleged Mahadev betting app scam, the PM said the ''ganitbaaz'' (self-styled mathematicians) of the Congress must tell the people what was the share (of kickbacks) received from the app by the chief minister and the ''Delhi darbar'' (a reference to the Congress high command).

''Some great scholars of Congress have become fond of mathematics. But the 'ganitbaaz' of the Congress can't even solve a sum that cane be done by a fifth grade student. There are allegations that a Mahadev betting app scam has happened and Rs 508 crore has been distributed. Huge pile of money has been seized in the raids of investigating agencies.'' ''They (Congress) should tell how much the CM got and how much went to Delhi Darbar. The gantibaaz should also tell how much the Congress leaders earned by selling tickets (in the Assembly elections),'' he said.

In Mahasamund, Modi said if youth type ''Rs 508 crore'' into their mobile phones (using search engines), the results would be about the Mahadev betting app, adding that the entire world now knows about the Rs 508 crore.

After so many years of Independence, if anyone is poor in the country, then the Congress is the culprit, as the party ruled from panchayat to Parliament for five decades, but did nothing about poverty eradication apart from giving the slogan 'garibi hatao'' 50 years ago, the PM said.

The Congress could do nothing to fulfil this promise but went ahead and gave new promises, while the BJP, in the last five years, took 13.5 crore people out of poverty, he said.

''On one side is the Congress' shop of lies, and on the other side is Modi's guarantee,'' the PM said. He said the Congress doesn't like him talking about the development of Chhattisgarh since the party wants to keep people poor so that they can continue to hold the licence to loot them.

Attacking the Congress over an alleged scam in the state's Public Service Commission recruitment process, Modi said, ''I would like to tell those youths who bore the brunt of the PSC scam that it is just a trailer. If Congress is not stopped they will get emboldened. They will make the CGPSC office an adda (den) of the Congress.'' ''The countdown has begun for the exit of the Congress government in Chhattisgarh,'' Modi asserted.

The Congress had become ''pasth'' (battered) after the first phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly polls on November 7, and now its ''asth'' (end) was certain in the second phase, he said, adding that the first phase had busted the party's balloon of lies.

''The arrival of BJP (to power) means rapid development of Chhattisgarh, and dreams of the youth will be fulfilled. Stern action will be taken against the corrupt. 'BJP ne banaya hai, BJP hi sanwaregi' (BJP has created Chhattisgarh and it will now nurture it),'' Modi said.

Attacking the CM, who is fondly called 'kaka' (uncle) by supporters, the PM said ''30 per cent wale kakka ka sarkar se jana pakka ho gaya hai'' (the exit of the 30 percent commission government of Bhupesh Baghel is now certain).'' While the BJP-led Centre built four crore houses for the poor in the last 10 years, the scheme was disrupted in Chhattisgarh by the Congress dispensation, which also did the same with the tap water scheme, Modi alleged.

Modi said mothers and sisters of Chhattisgarh are now proclaiming that ''aau nahi sahibo, badal ke rahibo' (will not tolerate anymore, will change the government).

The BJP's guarantee is crime-free, riot-free and atrocity-free Chhattisgarh, he said.

Strongly pitching for his government's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' programme, the PM said, ''I can challenge you that you will not find a single Congress appeal on its official social media platforms asking people to buy locally made things.'' ''Modi has been taking forward Gandhi ji's vision (of vocal for local). But the Congress has a problem with it. As long as such people will dominate the country, the country will continue to remain suppressed. The question is not about Rajsatta (rule) but the question is about the future of your children,'' he said.

The PM said he was born to work hard day and night to build the future of ''your children'' and ''that is why I want to tell Chhattisgarh to support me as I have to take the state to great heights''.

Modi also said this was his last public rally in Chhattisgarh (ahead of the second and last phase of the state polls).

''Victory is certain and development is Modi's guarantee,'' he asserted.

Polling for 20 out of the total 90 assembly seats in Chhattisgarh was held on November 7. Voting in the remaining 70 seats will be held on November 17.