'Why Varanasi Port to Adani?: Congress' barrage of 272 questions for Modi

Days before the Lok Sabha poll results, the Congress launched a fresh attack on PM Narendra Modi on Friday with a list of 272 questions, which included raising issues about his Varanasi Lok Sabha seat

Days before the Lok Sabha election results, the Congress on Friday released a long list of 272 questions for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, raising concerns on various issues, including the PM’s alleged closeness to billionaires Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani.

In question number 238, the Congress demanded Modi to answer why the Varanasi Port “has failed” and consequently why the Centre decided to privatise it, for which “Adani Ports was the only bidder”.

“Varanasi Port was inaugurated in early 2019, after an expenditure of thousands of crores, and for handling an estimated 3.55 million metric tons of cargo. By March 2020, it was handling less than 0.008 per cent of that,” the party said.

This was not the Congress’ only question for Varanasi, which happens to be Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency and will go to polls in the final leg of the election on Saturday.

'No new school or hospital' for Varanasi under Modi

“After 10 years as MP and PM, Varanasi has not got a single new government hospital. Why has the outgoing PM neglected these basic needs of his constituents?” another question read.

“Locals in Varanasi report that over 25 people have lost their lives to the evil of manual scavenging. 10 years after launching the Swachh Bharat Yojana, Modi has been unable to eradicate manual scavenging from even his own constituency,” the party alleged.

The featured questions are based on issues from every Indian state and Union territory. The cover of the 75-page document is designed to take a dig at the PM, featuring an empty chair in front of several microphones, an indirect jibe at Modi for avoiding press conference.

“Amidst the empty sound and fury around mangalsutras, bhains, and tempos full of black money, not a peep has been heard from the outgoing PM about his government’s disastrous record,” the Congress said, noting the objective of launching the barrage of questions at Modi.

Enforcement Directorate is ‘Kumbhkaran’

On Modi’s poll campaign remark about ‘tempo loads of black money’, the party labelled the Enforcement Directorate as ‘Kumbhkaran’ and asked, “Why did the outgoing PM send the ED after Opposition CMs like Arvind Kejriwal – while letting Adani & Ambani, with their tempos full of black money, go scot free?”

The list also included questions about joblessness, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s views opposing reservations, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh controversy, farmers’ plight, Modi’s “change of stance” on MSP issue, China’s “encroachments” in Arunachal Pradesh, among others.

Lok Sabha election results will be out on June 4.