Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections 2023: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday slammed the Opposition BJP for “insulting Advasis” by calling them “Vanvasi” at a rally in poll-bound Chhattisgarh’s Ambikapur. Addressing a huge gathering, Rahul Gandhi said, “…BJP calls you ‘vanvasi’, we call you ‘adivasi’. BJP snatches away your rights, we provide you with your rights. We hug you and BJP urinates on you. BJP leaders urinate on you and make videos of it viral so that the entire country watches it…”
Later in the day, the Congress MP repeated his charge against the saffron party in another rally in Jashpur. “They (BJP) want to erase your (tribals) history, language, your way of living and so they call you ‘Vanvasi’.”
Meanwhile, his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi during her campaign in Madhya Pradesh equated the BJP’s move to topple Kamal Nath government with the way Ahiravan deceived lord Ram and Laxman.
“In 2018, you elected a government in MP. The way Ahiravan had deceived Lord Ram and Laxman, the same way you (the public) were deceived. Kuch behroopiyon ne chal-kapat karke aap ki sarkar ka apharan kiya (Some imposters kidnapped your government using trickery). Today, if you don’t become like Hanuman ji and fight for yourselves, then who will do it? For 3 years now, you have been suffering at the hands of a government that you didn’t elect….” Priyanka said while addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh’s Sanwer.
The Congress is hoping to return to power in Madhya Pradesh and retain the same in Chhattisgarh where the party is already ruling.
While first phase of elections in Chhattisgarh were held on Tuesday, the second phase will be held on November 17. Mahdya Pradesh will also vote on the same day in a single phase. The results of both the states will be declared on December three along with three other states – Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana.