NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Bansuri Swaraj on Tuesday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, taking a direct jab at his signature slogan and accusing the party of compromising the futures of young job seekers across multiple states.
Addressing the media, Swaraj targeted the Congress leadership over alleged recruitment irregularities and enforcement actions in states currently or previously governed by the party.
“It appears that the Congress party’s so-called ‘Mohabbat ki dukaan’ deals exclusively in the business of corruption. I would like to ask Rahul Gandhi that on one hand, he speaks about students, yet when members of his own party play with the futures of the nation’s youth and students, does the outcry not reach his ears?” said Bansuri Swaraj.
Swaraj highlighted three specific cases to underline her charges of systematic corruption and political patronage within the opposition party: Uttarakhand VPDO exam scam, Chhattisgarh CGPSC paper leak and Himachal Pradesh outsourced recruitment.
In Uttarakhand, she cited Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on the premises of former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat’s former and current Personal Assistants (PAs) in connection with the Village Panchayat Development Officer (VPDO) recruitment scam, noting that assets far exceeding known sources of income were recovered.
Swaraj raised the arrest of a former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel linked to allegations of paper leaks in the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC) examinations.
She pointed to recent allegations of commission-seeking and “cut money” involving a senior politician’s son in Himachal Pradesh’s outsourced hiring process.
Swaraj questioned why the Congress leadership maintains public silence on paper leaks and hiring irregularities when members of its own party are implicated.
“You speak about the future of the youth and the issue of unemployment. Yet, when it comes to your own party your own workers and leaders, and when serious questions regarding political patronage arise, why do you choose to remain silent?” she said.
Swaraj also slammed the three Congress Chief Ministers for skipping the official BRICS Summit dinner, accusing the grand old party of compromising the national interest in its blind opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing reporters in the national capital, Swaraj also targeted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab over acute power shortages, pointing out that industrial units in the state are enduring blackouts lasting up to 14 hours.
“Political and ideological differences can always exist in politics. But when it comes to India and national interest, there should be no room for personal animosity or discord. It is distressing that when the three Chief Ministers from the Congress party were invited to the BRICS Summit dinner, they prioritised partisan politics over the national interest,” Swaraj said.
Questioning the opposition party’s stance on international diplomacy, the New Delhi MP added, “I would like to ask Congress in your opposition to PM Modi, have you now started to oppose India as well? Don’t you realise that the BRICS platform was not a BJP platform, nor a political one? For the three Congress CMs to decline the invitation is distressing and shameful.”
Turning her focus to neighbouring Punjab, Swaraj attacked the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP administration for failing to ensure electricity supply despite pre-poll guarantees of uninterrupted power.
“The Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab had promised to provide 24/7 power across the state. However, it appears that this promise of continuous power has turned into a situation of frequent power cuts. Industries are having to endure power outages lasting up to about 14 hours. The AAP government knew the paddy season was approaching and that the demand for electricity for irrigation purposes would rise. Yet, they failed to make adequate arrangements. Now, they want to blame the central government,” Swaraj said, asserting that “in the upcoming Punjab elections, the people will certainly hold the Aam Aadmi Party government accountable for these power cuts and teach them a lesson.”
