Assam BJP chief slams Priyanka's 'tea stunt'
March 05, 2021 16:29
Taking a dig at Congress general secretary for Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi's visit to the tea gardens in poll-bound Assam and an attempt at plucking the leaves, BJP Assam chief Ranjit Dass said women working at tea gardens will vote for BJP government schemes and not for the stunt ahead of elections.
Recently, Gandhi had visited the tea gardens in Assam and got photographed while plucking tea leaves with a basket on her head.
Responding to whether Congress will benefit from such visits in the elections, Dass played down Gandhi by comparing her with the benefits women workers are receiving from the BJP-ruled state and central governments.
"They are putting up foreign land tea gardens. In our tenure, pregnant women workers will get ₹ 12,000 in their bank accounts and also they will get maternity leave for six months. So, will they look at Gandhi plucking tea leaves or look at ₹ 12,000 while voting?" Dass said.
Dass also credited the government for opening of bank accounts.
"Will they (women tea garden workers) look at ₹5,000 that they get in their bank accounts or they look at five leaves plucked by Priyanka Gandhi," he asked.
The tea garden tribe community comprises 17 per cent of the state's population. A driving political force for more than 40 seats, all political parties are trying to woo this tribe ahead of polls.
The BJP had been critical of the Congress-ruled alliance that had put photographs from Taiwan instead of Assam in one of the political tweets by the party.
On Congress making a promise of 50 per cent job reservation in Assam, Dass said Congress always makes promises.
-- ANI
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