Balangir: Congress star campaigner Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday cautioned people of Odisha about attempts being made by the BJP to amend the Constitution of India.
“…I would like to tell all workers and leaders of the BJP – no force in the world can touch this book. If you try to tear and throw away this book (Constitution), watch what the country and Congress party do to you,” he said while addressing an election rally in Balangir while holding a copy of the Constitution.
The Gandhi scion also urged the voters to protect the Constitution and reservations to the minorities in the country which he claimed the BJP is planning to do away with.
Coming down heavily on the BJP, he said that the saffron party is working for select few while ignoring the rest. “The BJP waived off the loan worth around Rs 16 lakh crore of 22 billionaires, which equals to 24 years of MNREGA funds. The party has done nothing for 90% of the country’s population. It has not waived off loans of farmers and students,” he said.
He said that the media is ignoring the struggle of farmers and unemployed youth. “You have no one in the media to show your plight. There are none from OBC, Adivasi, and Dalit communities in senior positions in these organisations. Media is working for Narendra Modi and Gautam Adani. Even this rally might not be telecast,” he said.
The former Congress president claimed that 10 years of of Narendra Modi regime saw 22 to 25 persons becoming “arabpatis” (billionaires), while the Congress, if voted to power, will create crores of “lakhpatis”. “On June 4, a list of all the poor will be compiled. From each family, name of one woman will be selected, and Rs 1 lakh will be credited into her bank account. This is called vikas (development),” he asserted.
He further said that Rs 8, 500 will be transferred to the bank accounts of the women beneficiaries every month and unemployed graduates will also get Rs 1 lakh for 1 year. “The Congress will hike the wage under MGNREGS to Rs 400 from Rs 250. Remuneration of Anganwadi and ASHA workers will be doubled and loans of farmers will be written off,” he said.
The grand old party will provide legally guaranteed MSP for Paddy, wheat and other agricultural produce.