Today is the 4th day of Navratri. I am on fast, so I would like to start my speech while invoking ‘Maa’. Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu Shakti Rupen Sansthita Namastasya Namastasya Namastasya Namo Namah Sarv Mangal Mangalya Shive Sarvartha Sadhike Sharanya Triyambke Gauri Narayani Namostute

Come and say with me – Jai Mata Di, Jai Mata Di. As I have said, we are celebrating Navratri, I find it the opportune time to speak out before you what I feel in the heart of hearts. The ground reality that I have seen in Uttar Pradesh during the last two years, since the time I have started working here, that reality I would like to put before you.

In the beginning when I started working here, then an incident occurred at some distance from here at Sonbhadra. In that incident, some people were trying to usurp the land, in connivances with the police, of 13 Tribals who were toiling in their fields. Those people came in tractors and jeeps and resorted to violence and firing in which 13 tribals were martyred. This resulted in the most heinous massacre at Sonbhadra.

When I went to meet the victim families, one thing became very clear in my mind about what they want. The family, whom I had met, clearly stated that they did not want any compensation; they did not want any money from the government, but only JUSTICE. But, at the same time they added that, they did not have any hope of getting justice. Their father told me that they were brought out of their house and were badly thrashed. Their children were threatened. His 9-year-old grand-daughter was threatened, but they had no hope of getting justice. They only wanted justice but had no hope of getting it. In those three cases also, a former MLA of BJP, son of a pradhan of BJP and a BJP worker were involved.

Then came the Corona pandemic. During Corona times, reports came from every nook and corner of the country, that the people are in distress and the government instead of helping them, had become aggressive against them. If anybody used to complain about lack of facility or oxygen, and if any hospital had the courage to say that they have run out of oxygen, then the government instead of helping them was actually attacking them. They (people at large) had no hope of justice. They never had any hope that during those times of crisis, the government will come to their rescue.

Then the incident of Hathras occurred, in which you had seen that the government never targeted the culprits, never restrained the culprits and instead the government prevented the victimized family from performing the last rites of their daughter. Without taking the family members along, the police, administration performed the last rites of the girl (victim). Even that family told me that, Didi, we want justice, but we don’t have the hope of getting any justice.

Whatever happened in Lakhimpur Kheri, we have been witnessing for the past one week, the son of the Minister of State for Home Affairs in the Union Government mercilessly mowed down 6 farmers under the tyres of his jeep. All the 6 families of the victims of this incident said that they do not want any compensation, they do not want any financial consideration from the government, but only justice. Bu there is no one in this government who can give justice to us.

You saw that the government was totally engrossed in protecting the minister and his son. Police and Administration was busy in restraining the leaders of opposition. When I tried to reach there during night, the police was present on every road. They tried to stop me. Police barricading was all around. Victims’ families were not allowed to move out of their houses, but not even a single police person came out to apprehend the culprit. Rather, they sent an invitation to the accused that please come and talk to us. This is a simply unprecedented incident that has never been seen before in any country of the world or anywhere in the past history of any country that a person, who mows down 6 people, who murders 6 people and the police extend him an invitation that please come and talk to us. If you have seen any such example in the past, please tell me.

Such an incident might never have occurred in the history of any other country all over the world. The Chief Minister sitting on the dais was trying to protect the minister, whose son is involved in such a detestable crime. The Prime Minister, who could visit Lucknow to see the performance of UP and the performance of ‘Amrit Utsav’, could not visit Lakhimpur Kheri at a mere distance of just 2 hours by road. He could have given the hand of support to the victims and wiped their tears. Who gave this freedom to us, which they were celebrating; who gave this freedom for which they were celebrating ‘Amrit Utsav’? The freedom was given to us by the son of a farmer. This country has been nurtured by the farmers. Even today, the son of the farmer is standing at our borders. They are the son of farmers, who are protecting us, our borders and the freedom of this country.

What is this country- this country is a belief, is a hope. In this hope of justice, we got freedom. When Mahatma Gandhi started the freedom struggle, then he had in his mind that my people, the farmers of my country, Dalits and women of my country and the poor of our country must get justice. We have a constitutional right to justice, but in this country, all have lost the hope of getting justice.

Therefore, I would like to tell you that when I visited the family of martyred Nakshatra Singh, then they told me that their other son has joined BSF. When I went to meet the other families of the victims of this incident, they told me that all their brothers and sisters are in army and are protecting this country. When I went to the family of journalist Raman Kashyap, I was told that he was killed, when he was busy in performing his duty. He was mowed down under the wheels of the jeep because he was doing the videography of the incident to show the reality to the people. All the families said that they did not have any hope of getting justice. Therefore, in our country, if someone is mowed down, suffer violence, face atrocity, he or she doesn’t have the hope of getting justice. In such a scenario, whom the aggrieved person will approach for relief? When the government, the Chief Minister, the Prime Minister, the Home-Minister, the MIA all are hand-in-glove and turn their back in the event of any eventuality, then whom the common people will approach for help and what shall be the way out for them.

You know that the farmers have been continuing their agitation for the last 9-10 months. This movement has been going on for more than 300 days. More than 600 farmers have sacrificed their lives during this period. Why are they resorting to these agitations? Because they know that through these three black laws, the government intends to transfer their income, their fields, their crops to its billionaire friends.

Modi Ji’s billionaire friends had purchased apples from Himachal for Rs. 88 per kg last year. This year the same apples are being purchased at Rs. 72 a kg and every apple grower is compelled to reduce the price of apples. The cost for the farmer has gone up as the decision to fix the price of the crop is now with these billionaires. So, the price was reduced arbitrarily. This situation will repeat in the whole country. When these laws are implemented, all your agriculture, your crops, everything will be snatched away from you.

What did Modi Ji say about the farmers who were spear-heading the agitation – he called them Andolanjivi and terrorists. Yogi Ji called them rioters and tried to threaten them. The same Minister of State for Home threatened them and said that he is capable of teaching them a lesson in two minutes. If they dared to revolt, they would be dealt with greater repression.

Our Prime Minister can travel to every corner of the world, can go to America, can go to Japan, can tour country-to-country, but he doesn’t have the time to travel just 10 kms to the borders of Delhi to talk to the farmers. Our Prime Minister, who calls himself the son of Ganga, has insulted the crores of Ganga Putras, who produce yield from the fields with the blessings of Ganga Maiya. There is a conspiracy to transfer their entire income, their agriculture, and their crops to the billionaire friends of this government. Do they know how many problems farmers are facing in your state? (Smt. Priyanka Gandhi said while addressing the farmers) Do they know how grave the problem of stray animals is here? Have they walked on your streets at night to see that at every kilometer, every half a kilometer, there are stray animals? I have seen that all.

The electricity charges for farmers have been increased three times. Has Narendra Modi Ji seen how highly inflated bills you are getting? At a time when you are not even getting electricity, you are still getting electricity bills. Has the Prime Minister seen, said anything about it?

Every family in the state is suffering. The farmers are not getting fair prices for paddy and wheat. Urea and fertilizers have become very expensive. GST has also been imposed on the agricultural implements. Petrol is being sold for more than Rs. 100 per litre, Diesel for Rs. 90 per litre, LPG for Rs. 900, (large number of people in the gathering shouted that it has almost reached Rs. 1,000 per cylinder), so it has been Rs. 1,000 per cylinder, LPG for Rs. 1,000. 23 crore people have gone below the poverty line. Coal stocks are running out. Unemployment is at its peak. Wherever you go, you find unemployed youths.

The day before yesterday I went to a settlement in Lucknow. I went there because Yogi Ji used such words against the sanitation workers, against my sisters, who sweep their houses every morning. He used abusive language against those who keep our country and our cities clean. So, I went to a settlement to sweep the Valmiki temple and talk to all those who do this work for livelihood, to educate their children. I went from house-to-house, from one house to another house and in every house, they brought before me their young children, some of whom had done MA and some other had done B.A., ITI, but none of them had a job. Their young children had no job, and those who were working, the sanitation workers’ wages had not been increased for months together.

The people are in distress, angry too and they ought to be angry, because at a time, when you are undergoing such hardships, you are undergoing harsh struggle and at the same time, Prime Minister’s billionaire friends are earning crores of rupees. They earn more than a thousand of crores Rupees a day while your income has totally vanished.

At the time of Corona, all the small businesses, small traders, all the people had to stop their work, had to close their shops, had to close their business. Did the government give any relief? There was no relief, they just harassed you, sometimes with GST, sometimes with demonetization, sometimes with something else. In all other countries, in the whole world, wherever Corona has struck, the government has come forward with relief, but you did not get any relief.

The country’s airports, the country’s railways, all the PSUs are being handed over to their billionaire friends. You may not know that the Prime Minister bought 2 aircrafts for himself last year. You tell me, how much can be the cost of this Airplane? - Everyone knows. Everyone knows. An aeroplane was worth Rs. 8,000 crores. For how much did he buy two aeroplanes? - (The people in the gathering replied in a loud voice, Rs. 16,000 crores) and for how much he sold the entire Air India of this country, for how much he sold to his billionaire friends – just for Rs. 18,000 crores. Bought two aeroplanes for himself for Rs. 16,000 crores. Sold this country’s Air India to his friends for Rs. 18,000 crores.

Look, understand, whenever I talk to people, one thing clearly emerges that, yes, nothing is materializing. There is no income, there is no employment, the farmers are suffering. Nishads living near rivers are suffering, Dalits are suffering, women are suffering, everyone is suffering, but they said, Didi, there is one thing that is widely covered in the media that we are safe, but that I want to ask, do you not see the truth?

Only two types of people are safe in this country today. One - who is the leader of ruling BJP and the other - who is their billionaire friend. Only two types of people are safe. No person of any religion is safe in this country. No person of any caste is safe. Neither a labourer is safe, nor Mallah is safe, nor Nishad is safe, neither Dalit is safe, nor poor is safe, nor minorities are safe, nor are my women sisters safe in this country. In this country, only the Prime Minister, his cabinet, his party people who are in power and all his billionaire friends, are safe. Realize this thing correctly.

This country is being ruined, Please realize this fact. You know the truth behind all the advertisements that are being put up on the bus stands, big hoardings that are being put up. You are living that reality. You tell me – Do you get the fair prices for your crop - (The huge gathering said - no). Do you get LPG cylinder - (The huge gathering said - no), can you get it refilled - (The huge gathering said - no). Do your children get employment - (The huge gathering said - no). So, what is the truth and why are people scared of speaking this truth? What are they afraid of? What can happen?

The time has come, it is not a matter of election now. Now it’s about the country. This country is not the personal fiefdom of BJP office bearers, their Ministers, their Prime Ministers. This country belongs to you, this is your country. Who will save this country, who will protect this country – if you do not become vigilant, you will not become aware, if you remain entangled in their politics, then you will neither be able to save your country nor you will be able to protect yourself. You are the farmer, you are the soul of this country. You have made all these leaders who are sitting on the dais. Your hard work has made this country. Don’t ever forget this. Those who call you an Andolanjeevi, who call you terrorist, force them to deliver justice.

All the Congress workers who are here are not scared of anyone. We are not afraid of anyone. Put us in jail, kill us, do anything to us, we will keep fighting, we will keep fighting, we will keep fighting, we will keep fighting, we will not move, we will not move until that Minister of State for Home tenders his resignation. We are Congress workers; our party has fought for the freedom of the country. No one can silence us. No one can stop us.

All the people who are listening to my words, whether you are present here, whether you are watching on TV, look inside your mind and ask yourself only one question, whether or not there has been any progress in your life in these last 7 years since this government has assumed power? Has development arrived at your doorstep or not? Have the promises made to you been kept or not? Just ask this one question and answer this question honestly in your own heart and if the answer to this question is that your life has not progressed, then come, stand with me, shoulder-to-shoulder and fight it out. Change this government, bring about change, improve your state, because I am not going to stop until the change comes here.

I want to thank you all for coming here, waiting for me in such a hot weather. Wishing you all a very-very Happy Navratri.

Jai Mata Di.Jai Hind. Jai Kisan, Jai Kisan, Jai Kisan. Jai Hind, Jai Hind, Jai Hind.