Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress in a rally in Maharashtra’s Wardha, urging voters to not allow the party or their allies to regain power in the state, especially in the Vidarbha region.
Speaking at an event marking the first anniversary of the PM Vishwakarma Yojana on Friday, the prime minister accused Congress of deliberately stalling the progress of marginalised communities, farmers, and artisans, particularly from the SC, ST, and OBC communities. “Today’s Congress is run by the ‘Tukde Tukde Gang’ and ‘Urban Naxals’,” PM Modi remarked, drawing attention to the ideological shift within the party.
Focusing on Vidarbha’s farming community, the prime minister said: “Vidarbha produces some of the finest cotton in India, but Congress and the Maha Vikas Aghadi misused the region for political gain, leaving farmers in distress. Instead of empowering them, they played politics with their livelihoods.”
He credited the 2014 Devendra Fadnavis-led government for initiating development in the region by setting up the Amravati Textile Park. According to him, the ‘Farm to Fabric, Fabric to Fashion, Fashion to Foreign’ policy under his administration stopped farmers’ losses and created opportunities for export and employment.
PM Modi further highlighted that the upcoming PM Mitra Park in Amravati is set to attract investments between Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000 crore, with the potential to create over one lakh jobs. “This is the real industrial revolution that Congress failed to deliver in decades,” he added, emphasising the state’s readiness for rapid industrialisation under BJP’s leadership.
The prime minister urged voters to be wary of Congress’s false promises, using the example of Telangana where the party failed to fulfill its assurance of loan waivers to farmers. In contrast, he pointed out: “Today, Maharashtra’s farmers receive Rs 12,000 annually and crop insurance for just Re 1. Projects like the Rs 85,000 crore Wainganga-Nalganga river-link project will provide irrigation to over 10 lakh acres in Vidarbha alone.”
Accusing Congress of lacking respect for Indian culture and traditions, Modi referred to incidents where the party allegedly opposed Ganesh worship. “Congress is against our culture. They even opposed Ganesh Puja. In Karnataka, they locked away a Ganesh idol in a police van, even as Maharashtra was celebrating Bappa,” he said.
In his speech, Modi claimed Congress had kept marginalised communities deprived of progress for decades. He highlighted his government’s initiatives to revive traditional skills and craftsmanship among the SC, ST, and OBC populations. “The British sidelined these communities, and after Independence, Congress continued to ignore them. It is only after we came to power that we started to revive this rich heritage. Through the PM Vishwakarma Yojana, we have given them the tools and support to integrate into the mainstream economy,” he said.
Modi shared statistics showing the scheme’s progress. Over 20 lakh people across 700 districts have benefited, including 60,000 individuals from Maharashtra alone. More than 6.5 lakh artisans have received modern equipment, with over Rs 1,400 crores disbursed in loans.
Maharashtra’s leaders, including chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, stood by PM Modi’s side at the event. Shinde took aim at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, criticising his stance on reservation and accusing him of speaking Pakistan’s language. Fadnavis assured that the BJP government was committed to the upliftment of the micro-OBC communities and would provide them the necessary resources to thrive in the economy.
The rally ended with a strong call to voters, urging them not to let Congress back into power in Vidarbha or Maharashtra. “We need to stand united to protect Maharashtra’s identity and fulfill its dream of progress,” the prime minister concluded, signalling the start of the BJP’s campaign for the upcoming assembly elections.
Recent surveys show that the Congress is winning significant seats in Vidarbha region which was once their bastion. BJP, in 2014 and 2019, had dented Congress by winning a significant number of seats. But this time, after the Lok Sabha election, Congress emerged as the “unexpected winner”. Hence, this time, the BJP kept attacking the Congress.
RELIEF FOR FARMERS
In a major relief for farmers, Fadnavis assured them that cotton and soybean would be purchased at prices higher than the minimum support price (MSP) this season.
Addressing the gathering, Fadnavis said the government had taken significant steps for the welfare of farmers. He had requested the prime minister to raise the import duty on crude oil to benefit the prices of soybean and cotton in the domestic market. He noted that the prime minister responded promptly, and as a result, soybean prices have already begun to rise. He assured that this season, the government would ensure the purchase of these crops at rates above MSP.
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