New Delhi: The clash of political titans continues in poll-bound Haryana with Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi reaching out to the youth and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal holding roadshow for the second consecutive day on Tuesday.
In a video message to the youth, Gandhi accused the BJP, and specifically Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for lack of jobs, that eventually pushed them towards a journey of torture in seeking job opportunities abroad. Kejriwal, meanwhile, playing the victim card, stepped up his attack during a roadshow in Rania Assembly constituency on the BJP-led Centre, alleging he was arrested as the ruling party wanted to project him as a ‘chor’ (thief), but even his “fiercest enemy” believes that he is not corrupt.
Sharing a video on the social media, Gandhi alleged that the BJP had done "grave injustice” to the country’s youth, including those in Haryana, by snatching their employment opportunities.
He referred to his recent interaction in the US with some immigrants from Haryana who talked about unemployment back home, forcing them to relocate to the US and face struggles in a foreign country. In his post in Hindi with the video, Gandhi said: “Why did the youth of Haryana turn to Dunki?”
“Lakhs of families are paying the price of the ‘disease of unemployment’ spread by the BJP by being away from their loved ones. During my visit to America, I met youngsters from Haryana who are struggling in a foreign country, away from their families,” the senior Congress leader said.
He said when he met their families on his return to India, their eyes welled up with pain. Lack of opportunities has taken away the support of fathers from children and the support of their old age from the elderly, he pointed out.
“It is our resolve that as soon as the Congress government is formed, we will create such a system in Haryana in which the youth will not have to stay away from their loved ones for their dreams,” the Congress leader stressed.
The AAP, on its part, held a roadshow in the Rania Assembly constituency in Sirsa district in favour of its nominee Harpinder Singh. “They wanted to break my resolve. But they do not know that I hail from Haryana. You can break the resolve of anyone but not of Haryanawala… Your son and brother made Haryana’s name popular in the country and the world. I don’t have a hunger for power,” Kejriwal said.
Addressing a gathering, Kejriwal said he had to spend five-and-a-half months in jail for no reason. “What was my fault? My fault is being the chief minister of Delhi for 10 years, I set up good government schools for children of the poor. Earlier, there were power cuts for 7-8 hours in Delhi. But, now there is round-the-clock electricity. My fault is that I made electricity free in Delhi and Punjab… My fault is that I started a free ‘tirath yatra’ for elderly people. So many works were carried out in Delhi and Punjab. No corrupt person could do these,” he said.
Last week, while campaigning in Haryana, Kejriwal had claimed the next government in Haryana cannot be formed without the support of his party even as he had targeted the BJP, claiming that the entire state wants “badlav” (change) and people will oust the ruling party in the October 5 state Assembly polls.
