‘Every Congress-ruled State has implemented its election promises,’ says Himachal CM Sukhu

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu at a press conference in Mumbai on November 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Congress leader Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Saturday (November 9, 2024) that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not believe in the idea of unity in diversity.

“It is our differences that bind us together,” Mr. Sukhu said in Mumbai, a day after Mr. Modi made the ‘Ek hai to safe hain’ [We are safe, if we are together] remark in poll-bound Maharashtra.

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Mr. Sukhu was speaking at a press conference along with Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.

The Ministers from the Congress-ruled States gathered in Mumbai to respond to the allegations by Mr. Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, that the Congress failed to fulfil its poll promises. They claimed that every Congress-ruled State in this country had implemented the schemes and projects the party promised.

“The BJP made false claims yesterday, so today we have come here to show what we have delivered. I have come here to invite all the three parties from the Mahayuti [Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, BJP and Ajit Pawar’s NCP] to visit Karnataka and see what we have promised, delivered, and how people of Karnataka are benefitted. Rahul Gandhi walked the streets of this country and saw how the people were suffering, with price rise of every commodity,” Mr. Shivakumar said.

‘Culture of unity’

“Our differences bind us together because we come from different cultures, regions and traditions. People who speak such things, it is they who do not believe in the unity of this country. Our culture is to keep our country united. Our government’s decision to restore the Old Pension Scheme had a positive impact. People of Maharashtra have to decide whether toppling the government with the use of money is democracy,” Mr. Sukhu said. “Any person who was getting ₹5,000 per month under the new pension scheme is getting ₹50,000 under the Old Pension Scheme. Our government successfully countered ‘Operation Lotus’ of the BJP,” added Mr. Sukhu.

Mr. Shivakumar said, “Whenever the Congress comes to power, it will surely implement one or the other scheme for each section of society. None of the schemes, which have been in operation since the days of Jawaharlal Nehru to Manmohan Singh, have been withdrawn. We are not looking at votes but development of the State.”

Mr. Reddy accused Mr. Modi of spreading lies about the Congress. “In 10 months, our government gave 50,000 jobs to the youth in the State. The BJP does not have any success story to boast of in Maharashtra. The BJP is transferring all the big-ticket investment projects from Maharashtra to Gujarat. We are systematically implementing the guarantees. Farm loans of 22,22,067 farmers were waived, which cost the government ₹17,869 crore. I urge people to defeat the BJP.”