Cong is anti-Dalit and people of Haryana have seen it: Smriti Irani

Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Smriti Irani on Monday hit out at the Congress and challenged the grand-old party to declare Sirsa MP Kumari Selja as its chief ministerial face if the Congress is concerned about Dalits.

Addressing a press conference at BJP’s state headquarters here, Irani said that if the Congress is pro-Dalit, then they should declare Selja as its chief ministerial face and may be Bhupinder Singh Hooda will also support her.

“ The Congress has neglected Selja and they have not given her due respect. I don’t expect any values from any Congress leader. Congress is anti-Dalit and people of Haryana have seen it. There is huge infighting in the Congress and the BJP will form the government for the third term,” the Irani added.

She further said that after returning to power the BJP government will provide ₹2,100 per month to women under ‘Lado Lakshmi Yojana’.

“With the coordination of Union and state governments, the people of Haryana have received ₹74,680 crore through Direct benefit transfer (DBT),” she added.

On being asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hitting a poll campaign in Haryana, Irani said that Rahul Gandhi had visited Haryana during the Lok Sabha polls and everyone saw the results, his party is sitting in the opposition and the same result will happen this time too.

Speaking on farmers’ issues, former union minister Smriti Irani said that the BJP government has given ₹12,500 crore compensation to farmers for their damaged crops against the previous Congress government’s compensation sum of ₹1,100 crore.