Smriti Irani shows Congress Party the mirror once again

Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani was on a visit to the Rajiv Gandhi Petroleum Institute and the Rae Bareli rail coach factory on Thursday. During her visit to the Rae Bareli constituency, the Union Minister also went to the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) to preside over the convocation ceremony of the outgoing batch. She also launched a scathing attack on the Nehru-Gandhi family from the Congress bastion and accused Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi of not paying attention to the development of Amethi and Rae Bareli. While Rahul Gandhi has won and represented the Amethi constituency three times in a row, his mother Sonia Gandhi has also been the MP from Rae Bareli since 2004. The recent developments in both the constituencies have made them stand out in the state of Uttar Pradesh, whereas earlier, they used to be known just for being the bastion of Congress leaders and especially those from the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Smriti Irani said, “People will get to know… Those who could not bring development to their own constituencies… where 70-80 per cent houses are still made of mud… people will not expect anything from them.” She also spoke about the pitiable condition of Salon Assembly constituency which falls under Rae Bareli district but is a part of the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency. Irani continued her attack by pointing out how the Rae Bareli coach factory started production only in 2014 under the NDA rule when it had been functional since 2007 under the UPA regime. “During the UPA regime, rail coaches were brought from Kapoorthala factory and painted in Rae Bareli shed in the name of achievement… now under the Modi government, 700 coaches are made here. The rail coach factory here has become a symbol of possibilities under the Narendra Modi government,” she went on to add. 

The official Twitter handle of the Congress party put out a tweet mentioning the name of the petroleum institute which had Rajiv Gandhi in its name. This self defeating point raised by the Congress which pointed towards its dynastic legacy was taken down by Smriti Irani in the most efficient manner possible. A barrage of tweets loaded with facts pointed out how the Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi had failed to develop even their own constituencies.

The series of tweets clearly pointed out not only how the production of the rail factory had increased, but had also achieved peak status only under the leadership of PM Modi. The production had started only in 2014 while the factory had been started well before in 2007. A tweet directed towards the RGIPT also pointed out that it was only under the PM Modi government that the institute in Amethi had started receiving funds regularly. The last time Congress had provided funds to the institute was back in the FY 2010-11 and that too a miniscule 36 crore. The central government under PM Modi had on the other hand provided RGIPT with funds equivalent to Rs 433 crore in just 3 years, therefore enhancing the work capacity of the institute which was set up with taxpayers money under the name of Rajiv Gandhi. The mention of Fitbit steps was a funny take on Congress portraying Rahul Gandhi as a fit candidate, for having walked on his maiden Mansarovar Yatra. 

All in all the BJP Union Minister triumphed once again in this exchange. As if PM Modi himself was not enough trouble for the Congress, ministers like Smriti Irani continue to give the opposition nightmares with their retorts which are supported by facts. Tough times for Congress indeed.