Union Minister Anurag Thakur makes explosive remark, says ‘Before 2014, the poor…’

New Delhi: Aggressively taking on the election campaign in Himachal Pradesh, Union Minister Anurag Thakur in a rally in Veerbhumi- Hamirpur district, on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, attacked the opposition by saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did the overall welfare of the poor, by making pucca houses, electricity connectivity and making toilets for each house. He began his speech by greeting PM Narendra Modi for his great contributions for the nation. 

Before 2014, the poor lived in kaccha houses, went in open for defecation & did not have a bank account. PM Modi made pucca houses for 3.22 crore people, provided electricity to every village, made toilets for every house & got bank accounts opened: Union Minister Anurag Thakur pic.twitter.com/oaiTDoAACv — ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2022

Women-led development in BJP rule

Additionally, Anurag Thakur hailed PM Modi and said that he not only believed in women development, but women-led development. He enumerated the work that was done during Prem Kumar Dhumal-led BJP rule in Himachal Pradesh and said that he gave 50% reservation in Panchayati Raj to women. 

Poor welfare by PM Modi

Thakur also said that before 2014, poor people in India used to live in huts and ‘kutcha’ houses, had no bank account and had to defecate in open spaces, but PM Modi’s governance changed the lives of the poor and they are given every possible facility to give a fulfilled life. 

Also Read: WATCH: Union Minister Anurag Thakur pushes bus that broke down in Himachal's Bilaspur

Earlier on Tuesday, Anurag Thakur in a Bilaspur rally compared Congress` 60 years of rule in Himachal Pradesh with five years of rule of BJP and said that BJP`s rule had more weightage.

He further highlighted salient points of BJP`s manifesto and said that the government will ensure 33 per cent reservation for women in government jobs, cycles for school-going students and scooty for college-going students, Rs51,000 to poor women during their marriage, 3 free gas cylinders in a year for poor women, if BJP comes to power in Himachal Pradesh.

Congress' earlier remark on BJP

Asserting that the ruling BJP is not able to present a report card in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh, Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Monday claimed that this is the reason why the party has "thrown all big leaders" including Prime Minister Narendra Modi for campaigning. Pilot, who was campaigning for Congress in the Himachal Assembly polls, said that the voters are "inclined towards the party" while also claiming that the ruling party (BJP) has "not done any work" in the last five years. 

Addressing the media here, Pilot said, "The voters are inclined towards Congress in the elections. BJP has not done any work in five years. BJP is not able to give the report card in front of the public. This is the reason why BJP has thrown all big leaders including PM for the campaign.

Voting in the state for 68 assembly seats is slated on November 12, and counting will be held on December 8.

(With ANI inputs)