Jammu: The Congress party has been gradually shrinking due to a steady erosion of its traditional support base across large parts of the country, Union minister Chirag Paswan said on Saturday, January 24, as he chaired ‘Rozgar Mela’ here as part of nationwide appointment letter distribution led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Talking to reporters in Katra after paying obeisance at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine this evening, the minister for food processing industries said Rahul Gandhi and other top Congress leaders need to introspect because, along with their voter base, the trust of their party workers is also steadily eroding.
He was responding to a question about Congress leader Shashi Tharoor skipping a party’s key strategy meeting on Friday for the upcoming Kerala polls.
“This is entirely an internal matter of the Congress. Why their leaders are not standing with them is a question the Congress must answer. But when Congress and Rahul ji talk about vote theft, they forget that their own support base is also being stolen away. This is the reason why even leaders and workers of their own party are beginning to lose faith in them and in the party.
“The way the Congress is gradually shrinking — look at one state after another. In Bihar, they put in very little effort; Rahul campaigned there for 12–15 days, talking about vote theft. What was the result? A historic victory — for the other side. Haryana, a state no one expected, slipped out of their hands. In Maharashtra, they formed an alliance by setting aside all ideologies — what was the outcome there? A historic victory (for the BJP-led alliance), including in the BMC elections,” the minister said.
Earlier, he attended a Rozgar Mela organised at the BSF frontier headquarters in Paloura, Jammu, part of the 18th such event that took place simultaneously at 40 other locations across the country.
Paswan distributed the appointment letter to the newly recruited from different regions of Jammu.
Addressing the gathering, he highlighted the Modi government’s assurance to youth empowerment, employment generation and inclusive development, stating that the Rozgar Mela reflects the Prime Minister’s vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas.”
Acknowledging the role of armed forces, he emphasised that the soldiers guarding the nation on the frontlines are making immense sacrifices to ensure peace, security, and happiness for citizens, and through their dedication, they have earned India a respected and dignified position on the global stage.
Additional Director General, BSF, Western Command, Satish Khandare, Inspector General BSF Jammu, Shashank Anand and other dignitaries also attended the mela.
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