'Bharatiya Jumla Party' deceived people with grand poll promises: Congress

The Congress on Tuesday, 23 April, alleged the BJP government has "de facto reduced" ration under a scheme in Chhattisgarh and claimed the "Bharatiya Jumla Party" has once again "deceived" the people with its grand election promises.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions for Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his poll rallies in Dhamtari and Janjgir-Champa in Chhattisgarh.

"Was cutting rations a part of Modi ki Guarantee to Chhattisgarh's people? Why has the Modi Sarkar failed to support Janjgir's Kosa Silk industry? Why has the PM failed to deliver on Adivasi welfare?" Ramesh said.

Elaborating on what he claimed were "Jumla details", Ramesh said married women in Chhattisgarh have been "duped by 'Modi ki Guarantee'."

"During the Assembly elections in 2023, the PM gave 'Modi ki Guarantee' that married women in Chhattisgarh would receive Rs 1,000 per month under the Mahatri Vandana Yojana scheme. What the PM did not specify were all the terms and conditions of his 'guarantee'. A large number of women were eventually excluded from the scheme, including pensioners who are only being paid the difference amount after receiving their pension," Ramesh said.

"The BJP government has also de facto reduced the ration for Prathmikta families to just 5 kg per person, despite having promised much more before the polls. The Bharatiya Jumla Party has once again deceived the people with its grand election promises. Given his track record, does the PM really think that people can believe in 'Modi ki Guarantee'?" he asked.

The Congress leader further said the silk industry in Janjgir-Champa has been neglected by the BJP government in Chhattisgarh.

"The Kosa silk produced in Chattisgarh is famous world over but government support for the industry has been sorely lacking. To promote cocoon production, the Silk Board purchases cocoons for between 30 paise to Rs 3 a piece but the rate has remained unchanged since 2019. Silk farmers have been demanding an increase in the price since the pandemic but to no avail," he said.

"As a result, cocoon production meets only 10 per cent to 15 per cent of industry demand in Janjgir-Champa and the silk industry has been suffering because of this. PM Modi has made a lot of noise about one district one product but the BJP has failed to put its money where its mouth is. Why has the Modi Sarkar neglected the Kosa silk industry in Janjgir-Champa?" Ramesh said.

In 2006, the decades-long struggle of India's tribal communities came to an end when the Congress government introduced the historic Forest Rights Act, Ramesh said.

"This granted Adivasi and forest-dwelling communities legal rights to manage their own forests, and economically benefit from forest produce they collect. Last year, when PM Modi introduced the Forest Conservation Amendment Act, all of this progress was undone," he said.

"The new Act undermines the Forest Rights Act of 2006, doing away with provisions for the consent of local communities and other statutory requirements for forest clearance in vast areas. The intention, of course, is to hand over access to our forests to the prime minister’s corporate friends," he alleged.

He claimed that this is a consistent pattern in the BJP's attitude to Adivasis.

Data shows how the BJP government has obstructed the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, depriving millions of Adivasis of its benefits, he alleged.

"Only 56% (5,24,341 claims) of the 9,37,858 individual claims filed have been granted and land titles distributed cover only 27% (14,637 sq. km) of the 53,842 sq. km eligible for community rights.

"Will the PM ever stop paying lip service to the slogan of Jal-Jangal-Zameen and meaningfully commit himself to Adivasi welfare?" Ramesh said and asked the prime minister to break his "silence" on these issues.