Amethi, April 30 (PTI): Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar yesterday took a dig at Congress vice president and Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi over his unavailability to the people and poor condition of roads in the constituency.
In an apparent potshot at Gandhi, Parrikar said, “Yadi Goa me Amethi jaisi sadke ho, toh janta waha ke leader (MP) ko juta lekar marne dauregi (if the condition of roads in Goa was like that of Amethi, the people of Goa would chase the leader (MP) with shoes in their hands).” “But it may not happen in Amethi due to the unavailability of the MP here,” he added.
Addressing an election rally in favour of party nominee Smriti Irani in the city’s historic Ram Lila Ground, he said in a lighter note “I had to take medicine for pain in body due to poor and ill-maintained roads of Amethi.”
“If in Goa power supply is for all for 24 hours with a simple rate of Rs 1.20 per unit, why is it above Rs 4.50 in UP?” he asked and said “the responsible persons for this must be recognised and ousted from power”.
He also stated that the price of petrol in Goa is Rs 59 per litre but in UP it is Rs 79. Why this difference exists, he asked.
Parrikar said in Goa Rs 1 lakh is deposited in account of a girl when she attains the age of 18, and housewives, senior citizens and widows are given pension of Rs 1,000, Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 respectively by the state government.
“Why such facilities are not in Amethi though it is considered as the VVIP constituency?” he asked.
He criticised UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Gandhi for the anomalies and accused them of cheating the people and denying them public amenities.
“To check the loot by the Congress-led UPA government, it is the right time for a government headed by BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi,” he said and appealed to the people to vote for party nominee Irani.
Addressing the rally, Irani criticised the foreign policy of the UPA over the attack on Indian soldiers on the border with Pakistan.
The meeting was also addressed by singer and actor-turned-politician Manoj Tiwari.