Karaikal (Puducherry): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday asserted that the interests of India’s farmers and fishermen have been fully secured in the recent FTAs and the Indo-US trade deal signed by the country, and slammed top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for misleading them with “lies” and trying to create an “illusion”.
Launching a scathing attack on the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Shah charged that Gandhi “has started a new tradition of telling lies daily.”
“Its Rahul Gandhi’s policy to lie, lie loudly, repeat it. But people have identified your lie manufacturing factory,” he said in his address at a well-attended BJP rally here.
“Rahul Gandhi wants to mislead the country’s fishermen and farmers. He intends to spread illusion by telling lies,” Shah charged.
In the Free Trade Agreements signed with the UK and the EU, besides the Indo-US trade deal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ensured “100 per cent protection” for farmers, fishermen and livestock breeders, Shah said.
Asking Gandhi to go through the provisions in the FTAs and the trade deal carefully, Shah reiterated that the interests of the Indian stakeholders has been ensured “100 per cent.” Fishermen would benefit from the FTAs.
He charged that farmers’ interests were “sold off” during the UPA regime headed by the late Manmohan Singh.
“The FTAs and trade deal will not cause any harm to our farmers. The harm to farmers was done during your Manmohan Singh government. Several global agreements were signed back then in which the interests of farmers were sold off. Here, Narendra Modi ji has ensured the protection of farmers and livestock rearers,” he said.
PM Modi has worked to provide 100 per cent protection to farmers, brothers and sisters involved in animal husbandry, and fishermen.
The top BJP leader targeted the previous Puducherry Congress regime led by V Narayanasamy (2016-21) over corruption and cited a recent CAG report and alleged that “the entire development fund of Rs 15,000 crore was swallowed” in the union territory during the grand old party-led government. A probe into the matter has begun and Rs 15,000 crore is “Puducherry’s three-year budget.”
Shah said PM Modi would visit Puducherry, where polls are due in April, soon to announce and inaugurate various development schemes. He appealed to Puducherry voters to elect again, the AINRC-BJP government under Chief Minister N Rangaswamy and Modi’s leadership for the region’s development.
The BJP veteran also expressed confidence that in 2029, under PM Modi, BJP-led NDA will assume power again at the Centre.
