PM camping in Varanasi as he is scared of Shah's threat: Cong

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is camping in his Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency for three days as he is "scared" of Amit Shah's threat that MPs will be held accountable if they don't get two-three seats, the Congress today said.
The Opposition party also alleged that he was taking "anti-people" decisions through the backdoor only to benefit private individuals and dubbed his government as "Government of India Private Limited".
He also said that the bias against the poor and the middle class is evident in the policies of this government which is privatising health, education and stopping HIV medicines for chidren in a "conspiracy against the country".

"Amit Shah ji has told all the party MPs of Uttar Pradesh that if they get less than 2-3 seats, they will be held accountable and action will be taken against them.
"So, I believe the prime minister has also been told the same thing and he is responding to Amit Shah ji's threat. He is also scared that he may not win those 2-3 seats from his own constituency," party spokesperson Ajoy Kumar told reporters when asked if there was a 'leadership deficit' in the BJP as Modi was camping in Varanasi for days together.
"Modi ji is scared of Amit Shah's statement and is trying to save his pride by camping there," he said.

He cited four recent announcements to accuse Modi of "backstabbing" and "betrayal" of country's common people as such decisions are taken through "backdoor" in the din of electioneering.

"In this election season, where people are watching his 'blitz' Modi ji is taking anti-people decisions through back door!. Modi ji's new slogan is 'cashless cashless japna, janta ka paisa apna'," he said.
Hitting out at Modi over State Bank of India's decision to impose penalties for non-maintenance of minimum balance in savings bank accounts, Kumar said, "Modi ji has backstabbed the poor people of this country by levying charges on not maintaining minimum balance in bank accounts."

He also said this is not the first time that the Modi government forced the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) to increase third party motor insurance premiums.
Pointing out the waiving Rs 1200 crore worth of loans to Vijay Mallya, who is absconding, he said on the one hand Modi is spreading the red carpet for the likes of Mallya and on the other, banks are levying transaction charges.
He said the IRDA, which is a regulatory authority for insurance, has increased motor premium of third party insurance of vehicles from 40 per cent to 101 in two years.

Kumar also cited the steepest hike in LPG rates and doing away of Rs 4,500 crore subsidy on sugar provided to the poor through PDS network as the two other anti-people decisions taken in the recent past in the din of electioneering.
The Congress leader claimed that the Modi government has become "synonymous with hoodwinking, jumlabaazi, backstabbing, deception, betrayal, treachery, duplicity and falsehood".
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Kumar also accused Modi of cancelling the joint press
conference of Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, saying the prime minister chose to return to Delhi from Varanasi at the same time, forcing closure of the airport.

He said while Modi virtually shifted the entire government to Varanasi, making daily speeches on good governance from there.
"Deception of voters and betrayal of people's faith are the hallmark of Modi ji's brand of politics," he said, adding Modi's new slogan is "Sabko eksaath mein sabka vinash".
Kumar said for the past 32 months, the Modi government has been raising only emotive issues and "lying" to people because of which the people are in "much worse" position now than in 2014.
Taking on Modi for making "backdoor" announcements, he said while a media blitz is on, it has been a "habitual practice" of the Modi government. He also accused the Modi government of "reducing" pensions of army jawans at a time when the entire nation was cheering surgical strikes.

On the SBI's decision to levy charges for minimum balance, Kumar said 27.77 crore Jan Dhan accounts (till February 22) have been opened by the government out of which almost 25 per cent (6.94 crore) are "zero balance accounts".
He said by this decision, Modi is "usurping" the hard earned money of the poor and depriving families and benefitting banks so that they can show it as profit and also help them reduce their surging NPAs.
On the LPG price hike, he said this is the sixth increase by the Modi government of Rs 271 or nearly 58 per cent.