Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday brought a safe to his press conference in Mumbai, to mock Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Ek hai toh safe hai' slogan.
Claiming a link between the slogan and the Dharavi redevelopment project being given to the Adani Group, Gandhi pulled out two posters from the safe, one featuring a picture of industrialist Gautam Adani and PM Modi with the caption "Ek hai toh Safe hai," and another showing a map of the project. Gandhi said the November 20 Maharashtra assembly election is a contest between billionaires and the poor, adding that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government would prioritise farmers, the underprivileged, and the unemployed. The "Ek hai toh safe hai" slogan primarily serves to help Adani acquire Rs one lakh crore land through the Dharavi redevelopment project, he claimed. "Narendra Modi's slogan is: If we are united, we are safe. The question is: who is safe, Gandhi said. The Congress leadercriticised the tendering process in the Dharavi redevelopment project, suggesting it was designed to protect Adani's interests. The interests of Dharavi residents were overlooked to protect the industrialist's interests, Gandhi said. The Maha Vikas Aghadi and Congress will ensure the rightful land is returned to the poor residents of Dharavi, he added. Gandhi also accused central agencies of pressuring industrialists to surrender their projects to government-favoured business figures.