In a fiery press conference in Ghaziabad, Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav launched scathing attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Gandhi labeled the now-scrapped electoral bonds as the world’s biggest “extortion scheme” and accused Modi of being a “champion of corruption.”
Gandhi criticized Modi’s claim that electoral bonds were introduced for transparency, calling it a “flop show” and questioning why the Supreme Court had scrapped the scheme if it was meant to clean up politics. He highlighted the lack of transparency in the scheme, pointing out that the names of donors to the BJP were hidden along with the dates of their contributions.
Yadav joined in the criticism, stating that the electoral bond scheme had shaken the BJP and accusing them of accepting money from corrupt individuals. The Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the scheme in February was seen as a major blow to the government’s credibility.
Gandhi and Yadav expressed confidence in the opposition’s prospects in the upcoming national polls, with Gandhi predicting a significant reduction in BJP’s seats in the Lok Sabha. They emphasized the importance of defending democracy and the Constitution, contrasting their vision with the BJP’s alleged attempts to undermine these principles.
The press conference also touched on key election issues such as unemployment and inflation, with Gandhi outlining the Congress’s manifesto promises, including the Right to Apprenticeship for youth. Yadav praised the Congress manifesto’s commitment to guaranteeing Minimum Support Prices for farmers, calling it a step towards eliminating poverty in the country.
As the political rhetoric heats up ahead of the polls, the opposition’s united front against the BJP signals a fierce battle for power in the upcoming elections.