Wayanad, Kerala: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stepped up her campaign for the Wayanad by-election on Tuesday, accusing the Central government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, of failing to provide rehabilitation for the hill district's landslide-affected districts.
According to Priyanka, the Narendra Modi government's stance at the centre shows a lack of regard for the people and the country, which is also clear from the policies it has implemented over the past ten years in power.
The Congress leader, speaking at a corner meeting at Eengapuzha here, said that policies, including demonetisation, of the Modi government always favour five to six business friends of the prime minister and do not benefit the people.
Referring to the Wayanad landslides, she said that the PM came to the district, visited the affected places and people and promised them all kinds of help. However, months later, the Central government did not provide any funds for the rehabilitation of the affected people, she claimed.
She further claimed that the Central government had shown no compassion for farmers, taken no steps to address challenges faced by tribal communities across the nation and was allocating land to large corporations rather than addressing public needs.
She also alleged that employment, education, healthcare, and other essential areas have been neglected by the Modi government.
"The Modi government has displayed complete disrespect for the people of India. If you lose respect for the people, you lose respect for the country. The politics prevalent in the country today, where only power matters and the people do not matter, needs to be changed," Priyanka said.
She also referred to the almost year-long violence in Manipur and said that trying to stay in power by any means was "wrong politics".
More than 200 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic strife between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kukis in Manipur since May last year.
To the hundreds gathered here for the corner meeting, Priyanka said she and her family were "indebted" to the people of Wayanad for supporting and voting for her brother at a time when a massive campaign was launched to tarnish his image.
She further said that the bond of love, trust, and loyalty forged between the people of Wayanad and Rahul Gandhi holds a special place in his heart and therefore, he was very sad when he had to give up the constituency.
Priyanka said that even though the Congress is not in power at the Centre or in Kerala, she will raise the problems of the people of Wayanad in Parliament.
"I will not let you down," she said.
Later in a post on the social media platform 'X', she said that Wayanad always stood for the shared values of social harmony, secularism, and justice which the Constitution "holds dear".
"Addressed the wonderful people of Eengapuzha, Thiruvambady today. Wayanad has always stood for our shared values – social harmony, secularism, and justice – values our Constitution holds dear. I promise to uphold these ideals and to dedicate myself fully to Wayanad's progress and wellbeing," she said on 'X'.
Priyanka, who marks her electoral debut in this bypoll, is contesting against the LDF's veteran leader Sathyan Mokeri, a former MLA, and the BJP's Navya Haridas, a two-time councillor of the Kozhikode Corporation.
The by-election was necessitated after Rahul Gandhi vacated the seat following his victory in the Rai Bareli constituency in the recent parliamentary elections. The by-election will be held on November 13.
With PTI inputs