Priyanka Gandhi Pitches INDIA Against Modi in Bihar
The NDA believes it can buy votes by bribing women with ₹10,000
New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying her party and the I.N.D.I.A. bloc were fighting the same kind of battle against the “Modi empire” that Mahatma Gandhi once fought against British imperialism.
Addressing back-to-back rallies in Katihar, Bhagalpur, and Purnea districts of Bihar, Vadra accused the Prime Minister of lowering the dignity of his office by using terms like “katta” (country-made pistol) and “donali” (double-barrel gun) during election speeches.
“The battle that the I.N.D.I.A. bloc and Congress are fighting today is the same as the one Mahatma Gandhi fought against the British. We are fighting for your rights, for truth, and against an empire, the Modi empire,” she said.
Vadra alleged that Modi’s government functioned by “suppressing people and dividing them.” She said, “The rights for which Mahatma Gandhi fought are in danger today, the most important among them being the right to vote.”
The Congress general secretary accused the BJP of hypocrisy, saying that while the Prime Minister praises Vande Mataram, a symbol of non-violence and unity, he simultaneously uses violent metaphors in his campaign.
“They commemorated the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, but once upon a time, the BJP and RSS were reluctant to sing it. It was the song of the Independence movement, symbolising unity,” she said.
Vadra also took aim at what she termed the BJP’s “fake nationalism,” claiming the party invokes nationalism only during elections. “Their Agnipath scheme has demotivated the youth of Bihar who once trained with pride to join the Indian Army,” she added.
Criticising the NDA government for failing to generate employment, she alleged that public sector undertakings were being handed over to the Prime Minister’s “two corporate friends.”
“We plan to reserve 2,000 acres of land for industries and education in Bihar, unlike the NDA government, which has handed over large tracts to Adani at Re 1,” she said.
Vadra accused the NDA of keeping numerous government posts vacant and closing avenues for youth employment. “It has been ten years since Modi promised two crore jobs every year. Now he says he will give one crore jobs to Bihar. Why not in the past decade?” she asked.
She reminded the audience that Congress governments had built institutions like IITs, IIMs, and AIIMS, while alleging that Modi had replaced governance with politics based on religion.
“The NDA believes it can buy votes by bribing women with ₹10,000,” she claimed.
Vadra also accused the BJP of “vote theft” after its setback in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, alleging that the names of 65 lakh voters were deleted from Bihar’s rolls.
“Three officials, Gyanesh Kumar, Vivek Joshi, and S.S. Sandhu, are complicit in this,” she said, accusing the NDA and election commissioners of betraying the people of Bihar.
She further alleged that the Prime Minister avoids meeting common citizens, including those in his own constituency, Varanasi, and prefers foreign visits.
On the economic front, Vadra said farming had become unviable due to rising fuel taxes, while corporate loans were being waived off. “Poor families spend their entire lives repaying small loans taken for education or marriage, while the rich are forgiven,” she remarked.
Concluding her speech, Vadra accused the NDA government of failing to control crime in Bihar, claiming that most offences were being committed against backward classes.
“Bihar doesn’t need a government of fear and division; it needs a government that works for equality, dignity, and opportunity,” she said.
