South India rejected BJP’s ideology, says Maha Congress leader Harshvardhan Sapkal

Maharashtra Regional Congress Committee President Harshvardhan Sapkal said here on Tuesday that despite the BJP using tactics of persuasion, inducement, coercion, and division, the people of South India rejected the BJP’s toxic, and divisive ideology as well as Narendra Modi’s leadership.

Speaking to media persons about the assembly election results, Sapkal said, “In West Bengal, the Modi government crossed all limits disregarding traditions and rules with the help of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and agencies like the NIA, and CRPF. Fake encounter specialist officers were deployed in West Bengal and oppressive measures were used. The BJP has secured victory in West Bengal through malpractices, but this toxic force did not work in South India, nor did Modi’s leadership”.

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“In Kerala, the Congress party’s victory is a win for democracy and the Constitution. The people of Kerala have expressed their faith in the Congress ideology and the leadership of Rahul Gandhi,” Sapkal said, adding that the Congress victory in Kerala has infused great enthusiasm among Congress workers across India.

He further said that after the five-state election results, the BJP celebrated its victory by bursting crackers in Maharashtra, while farmers commit suicide every three hours in the state. “How is the BJP not ashamed of celebrating by bursting crackers when women are subjected to atrocities every day? “The BJP put forth all its strength to defeat Mamata Banerjee. The Election Commission and the Supreme Court entered the fray and together defeated the incumbent chief minister in West Bengal,” Sapkal alleged.

“When the Congress government was in power, it provided substantial financial assistance to Maharashtra’s farmers and waived off their loans. The Congress government used to aid farmers whenever there was any natural disaster. But since 2014, after the BJP came to power at the Centre and in Maharashtra, agricultural products no longer get any minimum support price. On the other hand, farmer suicides are increasing due to the rising cost of agricultural input,” the Congress leader pointed out.

He noted that in Maharashtra, one farmer commits suicide every 3 hours, totaling eight suicides daily. “The Modi and Devendra Fadnavis governments are entirely responsible for it,” he said.

Speaking at a farmers’ rally in Buldhana district on Tuesday, Sapkal lashed out at the BJP government, saying that farmers are in distress because they do not get minimum prices for their soybean, cotton, onions, tur dal, gram and paddy. “The BJP government in the country and the state is doing nothing for farmers,” Sapkal said.