On the final day of campaigning for the Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024, Congress leader and leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha (LoP) Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on the BJP on Monday, November 18. During a press conference at Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Gandhi criticised the redevelopment of Dharavi (the largest slum in Asia), alleging it was being handed over to industrialist Gautam Adani under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.
Rahul Gandhi claimed that significant projects, including the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), are being allocated to Adani at the cost of the local population's future. "Dharavi is being destroyed for the benefit of one person," he said.
Rahul Gandhi Mocks PM Modi-Adani With Poster Stating 'Yeh Ek Hai Toh Safe Hai'
While addressing the media, Gandhi also criticised PM Modi’s slogan “Ek Hain Toh Safe Hain” (If united, we are safe). Displaying a poster with the slogan, he questioned, "Who is actually safe? The future of Dharavi's residents is not safe."
He further accused the BJP of prioritising big corporations over the welfare of local communities. "The BJP wants to hand over Dharavi's land to just one person, destroying the small-scale industries thriving here," Gandhi said. He called the project an attempt to benefit a single individual at the expense of thousands of livelihoods.
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Gandhi further stated, "The Maharashtra election is an election of ideologies and an election between 1-2 billionaires and the poor. The billionaires want the land of Mumbai to go into their hands. The estimate is that Rs 1 lakh crores will be given to 1 billionaire."
"Our thinking is that Maharashtra, the farmers of Maharashtra, the poor, the unemployed, the youth need help...We will deposit Rs 3000 in every woman's bank account for free, there will be bus travel for women and farmers, loans up to Rs 3 lakh will be waived, Rs 7,000 per quintal for soybean...Caste census which we are getting done in Telangana, Karnataka, we will get it done in Maharashtra," Gandhi said.