Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to extend the free ration scheme for the poor as his policies of the last nine years failed to give any succor to the people.

The AICC General Secretary (Communication) also alleged that Modi was showing tiredness and frustration in his campaigning, hence he was making baseless charges against the Congress party of appeasement and atrocities against women.

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“The prime minister will not say anything about the work done by the Rajasthan government as Modi has no issues to talk and tell the nation,” he said at a press conference here.

Ramesh said the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh is number one in atrocities on women and tribals. He said the false propaganda being carried out by BJP would not work, “the results of Himachal and Karnataka have proved this”.

He said under the Modi regime, there was discrimination against the state governments of opposition parties, whereas during the time of UPA, there was no such discrimination.

He said in the last nine years, there has been discrimination against the Rajasthan government regarding the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP), with Union Water Resources Minister Gajendra Singh creating hurdles in it.

He said the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, benefiting 80 crore Indians, was started by former prime minister Manmohan Singh in September 2013. Under Singh, the National Food Security Act was implemented, which was opposed by Modi and later when COVID-19 happened, the same law proved to be useful and its name was changed.

He said the Modi government has now extended this law for five more years, which makes it clear that people are suffering.

He also said that instead of creating employment, the BJP government at the Centre was busy selling public companies due to which youth in the country were not getting employment and small-scale industries were getting adversely affected.

He added that his party was seeking votes from the people of Rajasthan on the basis of its public welfare work, and with the blessings of the people, Congress government will be formed again in the state.

The state polls are slated for November 25 and results will be out on December 3.