"People fed up with false promises of BJP": Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

BHOPAL: Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said that the country is fed up with the false poll promises made by the Bharatiya Janata Party, adding that people are not excited to vote for the BJP, which has resulted in a reduction in the voting percentage in the Lok Sabha polls.

"The overall mood of the country is that they feel fed up with the false promises of the BJP and are leaning towards the INDIA alliance. The main reason for the decrease in voting percentage is that the people are not excited to vote for them. There is no candidate, they are asking for votes only in PM Modi's name," Gehlot told.

On Prime Minister Modi's "Daro Mat Bhago mat" jibe at Rahul Gandhi after Wayanad MP decided to contest from Raibareily, Ashok Gehlot said that Prime Minister himself ranway to Varanasi from Gujarat.

"Who is running away, he himself ran away. He had no connection with Varanasi, why he came from Gujarat to contest from Varanasi. He is making baseless remarks these days that Congress will snatch away Mangalsutra, this is violation of Model code of Conduct. Election Commission should have taken action," he said.

Earlier, refuting Prime Minister Modi's claims that "Congress will take away your wealth and give it away to the Muslims," Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge said that the party which has made sacrifices for the country cannot take away anyone's Mangalsutra. "

They (BJP) are saying that we (Congress) will take away your wealth and give it away to the Muslims. This didn't even happen during the time of the Nizams. We are a democracy now and the Congress party will not let such a time come. If they also want to do this, then we will stop them. Congress will not take away anybody's Mangalsutra," Kharge said at an election rally in Kalaburagi on April 29.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a public rally on April 21 charged Congress and said if Congress is voted to power, then they will conduct a wealth survey to seize the assets of people and take away their life-long savings.

While stressing the importance of 'Mangalsutra' (traditional Indian jewellery worn by married Indian women) for women, he said that no government has the power to snatch it away.

"When they (Congress) were in government, they said that Muslims have the first right over India's resources. So, they will distribute this wealth (property and gold) among those having more children, among illegal immigrants...this urban Naxal thinking won't even spare your Mangalsutra," the PM said.

The Congress alleged that PM Modi and the BJP have deliberately and repeatedly invoked religion, religious symbols and religious sentiments in its election campaign and the same is being done without any impunity.