"People will not compromise...": Smriti Irani on Rahul Gandhi contesting from Amethi

Amethi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 25 (ANI): Responding to Congress leader Ajay Rai's remarks that party MP Rahul Gandhi will contest from Amethi in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls, Union Minister Smriti Irani on Friday said that the people of this parliamentary constituency are "respected" and will not compromise with their self-respect. 
The Union Minister was in Amethi to announce a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative by the largest aircraft manufacturing company Boeing to open 100 medical camps in her constituency.
While speaking to reporters, Smriti Irani said the "Gandhi family", who have always opposed double-engine government, thinks that the people in Amethi would give up all their benefits just so that "they can flourish".
"Under the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, around 7,50,000 people in Amethi get free food grains. Does the Gandhi family think that the poor will give up their food grains, just so that the Gandhi family can flourish? Does the Gandhi family think that 5 lakh farmers of Amethi will leave their annual Rs 6000 just because the name of the Gandhi family can shine? Do they think that 90,000 families in Amethi will give up their homes for them?..." Irani said. 
Amethi used to be a Congress stronghold in Uttar Pradesh, where Rahul Gandhi lost to Smriti Irani by a margin of around 55,000 votes in the 2019 elections. 
Earlier this month, Congress state unit chief Ajay Rai confirmed that Rahul Gandhi will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi. 
"Rahul Gandhi will contest from Amethi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections," Ajay Rai said.
"It is the demand of the Congress workers and the public there...Congress workers want to work on their shortcomings to make sure Rahul Gandhi wins from Amethi," he had said. 
Responding to it, the Amethi parliamentarian, said that in a democracy, everyone has a right to contest elections from any constituency. 
"In a democracy, everyone has the right to contest elections from anywhere, but I am asking today, those who made derogatory remarks about the citizens of Amethi, saying that the conscience of our people is dead... and those who call voters demons (Rakshas). Do you think the respected people of Amethi will accept such people," the Union Minister said, adding that the people in Amethi will never compromise with their self-respect. (ANI)