Congress Kept Poor Steeped in Poverty to Pocket Their Votes, Says Arun Jaitley

Ahmedabad: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday alleged that the Congress kept poor steeped in poverty to pocket their votes.

Jaitley, the BJP's election incharge for Gujarat, also attacked Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for his dynasty remarks in the US, saying he felt "ashamed" because of the statement.

"They claim that poor people used to vote for the Congress party. That was the reason the Congress tried to keep the poor in poverty. This was their politics," Jaitley told the executive committee meeting of the BJP's Gujarat unit.

He said, in his view, the greatest achievement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to establish a connect between the BJP and the poor.

"What to speak of the Congress? I was ashamed the day it was said in the US that nepotism is a way of life in this country. That leaders of India can only come from family lineage and nothing else," Jaitley said, targeting Gandhi.

"If his statement is true, then nobody from BJP will be sitting on this stage," he said, pointing to state leaders, and saying they prided themselves on being first generation leaders.

Gandhi had said last week in the US that dynasties are fact of life in India.

"Most parties in India have that problem So...Mr Akhilesh Yadav is a dynast. Mr Stalin (son of M Karunanidhi in DMK) is a dynast... even Abhishek Bachchan is a dynast. So that's how India runs.

"So don't get after me because that's how India is run. By the way, last, I recall, Mr Ambanis are running the business. That's also going on in Infosys. So that's what happens in India," Gandhi said as he listed several prominent Indians born into famous families.

Jaitley said it was for the fourth time since 2002 that he has been made the election incharge of Gujarat.

"I am fortunate to be associated with four elections of the state. Here, politics is very different from other states and I enjoy it," he said.

The state executive meeting was also attended by union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Narendra Singh Tomar, P P Chaudhary and Jitendra Singh, who are co-incharge for the state Assembly elections.

Jaitley expressed confidence that BJP will win the polls hands down.

The meeting passed three resolutions one of which thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for completion of Sardar Sarovar Dam on river Narmada.

The other resolution thanked the state government for the development of the state and third asked party workers to strive hard for BJP's win.

The meeting was also attended by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, his deputy Nitin Patel, state BJP incharge Bhupendra Yadav and various state leaders and ministers.