"What is definition of freebies?" Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on BJP's allegations of promising freebies in elections

New Delhi [India], October 13 : Countering the BJP's allegation that grand old party promised freebies in poll-bound states, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the freebies, promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi before elections in 2014, including Rs 15 lakh to be deposited in every individual account turned out to be 'jumlas', adding that the Congress follows the promises in both letter and spirit.
"What is the definition of freebies? Before 2014, Modi Ji said that Rs 15 lakh would be given to every individual in the country. This kind of freebies was not realised as they were 'jumlas' by Modi ji. Whereas, we are following our promises in both letter and spirit," Chowdhury said.
The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has been hitting out the grand old party in their election rallies, targeting what the former calls 'freebies' or poll guarantees.
Earlier in the day, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan questioned the Congress party on the election promises made by the Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi saying they (Congress) are making Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi lie continuously but the public knows everything.
"I have seen the video where Priyanka Gandhi was asked to make announcements yesterday. She made multiple announcements but they (Congress) asked her to make one more. She promised that education would be free from class 1 to 12. Former CM Kamal Nath interrupted her for a correction. After that, she announced an allowance of Rs 500 from class 1 to class 8, Rs 1000 to Class 9 and 10 and Rs 1500 to Class 11 and 12 annually. Then Congress leader Randeep Surjewala corrects her again that it is monthly, not annually," CM Chouhan said.
He further said "The Congress is lying for votes. Earlier (during the 2018 assembly polls), Rahul Gandhi promised that all loans would be waived within 10 days. They (Congress) were forcing them (Rahul and Priyanka) to make false promises. This was Congress' policy of getting votes by confusing the people."
Meanwhile, speaking about the last manifesto of the Congress party, the chief minister said, "In Congress's last manifesto, there were many promises in which they (Congress) had said that uniforms, textbooks and high-quality reading materials would be provided free of cost to the school children. They announced it but stopped giving the laptop which Mama (referring to himself) was giving them, stopped giving the bicycle, withheld Medhavi Vidyarthi Yojana and couldn't even pay children's fees."
Earlier on Thursday, addressing a public gathering in Madhya Pradesh's Mandla district Priyanka Gandhi announced the Congress's Padho-Padhao scheme.
"Under Padho-Padhao Yojana, monthly aid of Rs 500 will be given to the students from Class 1 to Class 8. Similarly, Rs 1000 a month will be given to students of Class 9 and Class. Rs 1500 a month will be given to students of class 11 and Class 12," she said.
Madhya Pradesh is scheduled to undergo assembly polls on November 17. Through the polls, the state will elect legislators from 230 Assembly constituencies.
The election would be conducted in one phase in the state and the counting would be done on December 3.