'My mother's mangalsutra was sacrificed for India': Priyanka on PM's remark

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that the BJP has no idea about the struggle of women and recalled her mother, Sonia Gandhi's sacrifice for the country

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his recent comments about 'gold and mangalsutras', highlighting her mother Sonia Gandhi's sacrifice for the country.

"What talks are happening in this country? Two days back there were speeches that Congress wants to snatch your mangalsutra. This country has been free for the past 75 years, and 55 years Congress was in power. Did Congress ever snatch your gold or mangalsutra?" she said during a rally in Bengaluru, as quoted by news agency PTI.

Vadra's statement comes after PM Modi, in his election rallies, alleged that the Congress would redistribute people's property if voted to power.

"He [Rahul Gandhi] says that if his party comes to power, all of what is possessed by the common man will be probed and taken in government control and distributed to others. This is in their manifesto...women in our families retain gold jewellery which is not only for wearing at functions but is their legal right as 'streedhan'," PM Modi said at a rally in Aligarh on Monday.

"They [Congress] plan to amend the law to snatch gold, including their mangalsutra from our mothers and sisters. They are bent upon stealing it," he added.

Lashing out at the Prime Minister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, "When there was war, Indira Gandhi [her grandmother and former Prime Minister] donated her gold."

She further said, "Meri maa ka mangalsutra is desh par kurban hua hai [My mother's mangalsutra was sacrificed for this country]," referring to the assassination of her father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by terrorists.

"Had Narendra Modi understood the importance of mangalsutra, he would not have spoken such unethical things," she added.

"Women will prefer sleeping hungry rather than letting others sleep on an empty stomach. These people [BJP) do not know her struggle. When farmers are in debt, their women go to the extent of pawning their mangalsutras [to help their husbands]. When children fall ill, the women [of the family] pawn their jewellery. These people [BJP] don't understand these things," she said.

The Congress leader then asked where PM Modi was when women struggled after he demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes and the men had to fend for themselves.

"Where was Modiji when our women had to deal with demonetised currencies? Where was Modiji when migrant workers had to walk back home after the announcement of an abrupt lockdown that brought transportation to a halt? Did Modiji think about the mangalsutras of the 600 farmers who were martyred during the farmers' agitation?" she asked.

"He didn't think about the mangalsutra of the wife of a Manipuri jawan who was stripped naked. Today, he's talking about women only for votes. He should be ashamed for trying to scare you to win some votes," Priyanka said.

"If he had some respect for the mangalsutras of women, he would have given jobs to their children and would have controlled the price rise and worked more for women's empowerment," she said, reminding the gathering that they should be weighing the real issues such as inflation, unemployment and hatred before casting their votes.

"How many more elections would you fight based on the Hindu-Muslim narrative? They [BJP] don't want you to consider price rise and other real issues. You must decide on what kind of politics and governance you want. Do you want a party that engages in drama and lies or the one that stands for truth?" she asked.

Priyanka further challenged PM Modi to stand in front of the people and address price rise, unemployment, lack of academic institutions and inadequate healthcare facilities for the common people.

"Stand here and explain what you did in the last 10 years," she said, before urging the people to "wake up and seek their rights".