Rahul Gandhi Becomes Shiv Bhakt When Elections Approach: Smriti Irani

Hitting out at the Congress, Union Minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday said Rahul Gandhi chants Lord Ram's name and becomes a Shiv devotee as and when elections approach.

Addressing an election rally at Ramagundam, she said, "How long you (Congress) are going to divide and mislead people in the name of religion? I am saying this because the constituency's name is Ramagundamand every child in Ramagundam is identified with Ram. When the Congress party was in power they filed an affidavit in court and said there was no existence of Lord Ram. Now as and when the elections come, Rahul Gandhi not only chants Lord Ram's name but also becomes a Shiv Bhakt," Ms Irani said.

Saying that the Modi government at the centre was committed to the development of Telangana, the union textiles minister alleged that the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi had "failed" to take the central schemes to people at the grassroot level.

At another election rally in Nizamabad, she said if voted to power, the Bharatiya Janata Party would provide bicycles free of cost to girl students from class VII to X, besides scooter at 50 per cent subsidy to young ladies pursuing higher studies.

Highlighting the promises made in the BJP manifesto for the December 7 assembly elections in Telangana, she said her party would waive farm loans up to Rs two lakh.

She claimed that as many as 20 lakh families in Telangana were given free gas connections under the Ujjwala Yojana scheme and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government had sanctioned over two lakh houses to the state.

"The central government has also connected 44 agricultural markets under eNAM (National Agricultural Market) scheme for the benefit of farmers for better price and better market conditions. Each and every BJP party worker can proudly say in these 44 markets, farmers of Telangana were able to sell 7.5 lakh tonnes agricultural goods worth Rs 30,000 crore," she said.

The minister also said a notification for filling two lakh job vacancies in the state government would be issued within three months if the BJP was voted to power.

According to Ms Irani, the Modi government has increased working days under the rural employment scheme, MGNREGA to 150 days from the earlier 100 days and also funds to the extent of Rs 55,000 crore was given.