‘Ek hain to safe hain’ coined for Modi-Adani duo: Rahul Gandhi

MUMBAI: Targeting PM Modi's slogan ‘Ek Hain To Safe Hain,' leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi displayed a safe at a press conference on Monday along with a picture of Modi with industrialist Gautam Adani and said the slogan has been exclusively coined for the Modi-Adani duo .

"Both Modi and Adani are ‘ek hain.' With the tacit support of the Prime Minister, the Mahayuti govt has transferred Dharavi land worth Rs one lakh crore to the industrialist, and the entire govt worked overtime to ensure that the land transfer is hassle-free and smooth. In my opinion, the assembly election in Maharashtra is between a billionaire and poor people," Rahul said.

Speaking to mediapersons at the end of the campaign for the November 20 assembly elections, Gandhi spoke at length on reservations and the "shifting" of major industries from Maharashtra to Gujarat.

Gandhi endorsed the views expressed by UBT Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, who had told a public meeting on Sunday that once the Maha Vikas Aghadi comes to power, it will scrap all pro-Adani decisions taken by the CM Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government.

Stating that Dharavi is the main hub of small and medium-scale industries, Gandhi said the NDA govt has quietly handed over major airports and ports, defence manufacturing units and key energy units to the Adani Group without examining its repercussions on the economy of the country and the state of Maharashtra. "Our objection is that it is unfair, the entire political machinery is being twisted to help one person. We are not convinced about how the tendering process was worked out and we are absolutely convinced that this is theft of Dharavi land," Gandhi said, adding that without clear support of the PM, Dharavi cannot be given way. "It is our main poll plank," he added.

Gandhi said that in view of massive disparity among different castes, it was high time a caste census was conducted, as has been done in Telangana and Karnataka. "We are keen to do justice to members of all castes. This can be achieved only if the 50 per cent ceiling on reservation is removed," he said.

Gandhi said as per his information, projects worth Rs 7 lakh crore, with a potential of 5lakh jobs, have been shifted either to Gujarat or other neighbouring states. The Vedanta semiconductor plant worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore, Tata Airbus project worth Rs 1.8 lakh crore, the Rs 2 lakh crore iPhone project, the Rs 1.63 lakh crore International Finance Center and bulk drug project worth Rs 3000 crore have been shifted, he said.