“PM Modi and his govt are slowly killing Public Sector Undertakings”: Rahul Gandhi in Ranchi

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], February 5 (ANI): Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked the BJP-led central government and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government are slowly killing the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).

Addressing a public rally during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Ranchi, Congress MP alleged that in the coming days, the central government will replace the name of Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) with the Adani nameplate.

“Narendra Modi and his government are slowly killing the PSUs… The central government wants the Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) to not function, and in the coming days, they will replace the name HEC with an Adani nameplate. They want to privatise it… Wherever I go, I see people of a PSU standing with posters in their hands. Be it BHEL, HAL, or HEC, all are being slowly handed over to Adani. But let me tell you all – Congress will never let this happen, Rahul Gandhi said.

Congress leader further warned the BJP and said that whatever you want to do, do it but his party will not allow Adani’s name to be mentioned on HEC (Heavy Engineering Corporation).

“I want to tell BJP – whatever you want to do, do it. We will not allow Adani’s name to be mentioned on HEC (Heavy Engineering Corporation). This is the capital of the country, it is not the capital of any industrialist. Adani will not get this free gift,” he added.

He further congratulated Chief Minister Champai Soren, former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and the entire alliance for winning the Trust Vote in the State Assembly.

“I want to congratulate the alliance, Soren Ji and all the MLAs for foiling the conspiracy by the BJP and RSS, and saving the government of the poor,” he said.

Earlier on Sunday, Rahul Gandhi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi might soon handover the steel mills of the Jharkhand to his billionaire friends adding that the economic injustice has been deliberately orchestrated by PM in the nation where ruling party at the Centre (BJP) is keen on handing over nation’s wealth and resources in few hands.

The newly formed government of Jharkhand, led by Chief Minister Champai Soren, passed the confidence motion in the state Assembly on Monday.

The coalition government won the floor test with a 47:29 majority.

The Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato asked the members of the House who were in favour and against the motion to stand at their places one by one.

“(A total of) 47 votes have been received in favour of the motion. There were 29 votes against the motion. Thus, this House passes the Trust Vote,” the Speaker said before adjourning the House till 11 am on Tuesday.

In the 81-member assembly, the halfway mark for a majority is 41.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha with 29 seats, and its ally Congress with 17 were confident of easily sailing through the trust vote.

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister, who was arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement in the alleged land scam, Hemant Soren was also present in the Assembly to attend the floor test. A special court in Ranchi allowed Soren to participate in the Trust Vote.

Participating in the debate, Hemant Soren, said that his arrest is just an example of the oppression faced by tribals and Dalits in society in multiple ways.

“If you look back at the oppression faced by adivasis, backward, Dalits and minorities, it has been brought forward in multiple ways in different forms. January 31 is an example of this oppression,” he said.

Lashing out at the Bharatiya Janata Party, the former Chief Minister said, “I do not understand why the ruling (central) government has so much hatred towards adivasis and dalits…They don’t hesitate to say that we should remain in jungles. If we come out of jungle their graves will get dirty. They think that we are untouchables.”

Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren while setting off the debate on the trust motion said that the Centre is misusing the agencies.

“The one who is ruling the Central government misused agencies. In 2019, Hemant got the mandate. Such a Chief Minister is arrested in a land scam case,” the Chief Minister said supporting his predecessor.

After a night halt on Sunday, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra resumed from Mahatma Gandhi Chowk in Ramgarh today.

Currently, the yatra, which has already covered five states, mostly by bus, is anchored in Jharkhand.

Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra rolled out from Manipur’s Thoubal on January 14. The yatra will cover over 6,700 kilometres over 67 days, traversing through 110 districts. It will cover a distance of 6,713 km, straddling 100 Lok Sabha constituencies and 337 assembly segments and covering 110 districts.

The yatra will conclude in Mumbai on March 20, after 67 days.

A follow-up to the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ which saw Rahul Gandhi cover more than 3,000 kilometres on foot–from Kanya Kumari to Srinagar–the Yatra 2.0 is following a hybrid format.