Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Sunday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that he ridiculed Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), but did not have the courage to close the scheme in the last five years.
"Prime Minister Modi criticised and ridiculed MNREGA but did not have the courage to close it in the past five years," said Pilot while addressing an election rally here. NREGA was first proposed in 1991 by then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao. However, it was passed in the Parliament in 2008. It aims to provide 100 days of wage employment to enhance livelihood security in rural areas. Lambasting the BJP for offering attractive schemes but not implementing them, Pilot said: "The BJP is a government of jumlas. Its leaders are doing politics under the guise of our heroic soldiers and people have understood that."
"They gave a dozen of slogans in five years but did nothing to bring them on the ground. Digital India, India Shine, Make in India are some of the slogans which were not helpful for the people.""Now, the phase of change has set in across the country and the BJP will get an apt reply from the public in this Lok Sabha election," he added. Speaking about the Congress' new campaign slogan 'Ab Hoga Nyay' (Now, there will be justice), Pilot said: "Rahul Gandhi has promised Nyuntam Aay Yojana which will provide Rs 72,000 per year to the poor people of the country."
"The BJP has no tool to challenge our scheme. If you question the BJP, then they will declare you a traitor or an anti-national."Seven-phased Lok Sabha elections in the country are slated to begin on April 11 and will conclude on May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. Uttarakhand will go to polls on April 11, where five Lok Sabha seats are at stake.