Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that the INDIA bloc would scrap the Agniveer scheme once voted to power.
Addressing a rally in Patiala in favour of party candidate Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, Rahul said, “PM Modi wants two types of martyrs – one who gets compensation, pension and martyr status, and the second (enrolled under the Agniveer scheme), who is poor and gets nothing. It is an insult to the Indian Army. PM Modi has turned our soldiers akin to labourers. We will scrap it (Agniveer scheme) and throw it into the dustbin. This is PM Modi’s scheme, the Army never wanted it.”
Notably, Punjab has the highest number of widows of armed forces personnel in the country. The number of registered widows of ex-servicemen in Punjab is 74,253, the Ministry of Defence revealed in a written reply in the Parliament last year.
Read Here | Rahul Gandhi jabs at Narendra Modi's degree after PM's claim on Mahatma Gandhi: ‘Only a student of…’
Rahul lauded party candidate Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, stating, “Dr Dharamvira has been practising the idea of ‘Mohabbat ki Dukan’ for the past 50 years by treating the poor and underprivileged people.”
Promises to waive farm loans
Terming Punjab farmers as the backbone of the country, Rahul gave three guarantees to farmers – waiving of farm loans, a legal guarantee for MSP, and a farmer-friendly crop insurance scheme. “We will constitute an institution which will solely work on recommending farm loan waivers. Whenever this institution recommends waivers, we will implement it,” said Rahul.
He claimed that the Congress-led UPA government had waived farm loans amounting to ₹70,000 crore during its decade-long tenure from 2004.
{{/usCountry}}He claimed that the Congress-led UPA government had waived farm loans amounting to ₹70,000 crore during its decade-long tenure from 2004.
{{/usCountry}}He further said that he had tried to speak about the 700 farmers who died during the agitation against the Modi government’s three farm laws but wasn’t allowed to do so.
The Congress leader also assured to bring a farmer-friendly crop insurance scheme, wherein compensation for crop loss would be released within 30 days.
Read Here: Arvind Kejriwal to go to jail, Rahul Gandhi abroad post poll, says Smriti Irani
“The BJP has waived of ₹16 lakh crore loan of the PM’s 22 capitalist friends but he is reluctant to give any relief to poor farmers,” Rahul said while addressing a rally in support of Congress’ Ludhiana candidate Amarinder Singh Raja Warring in Dakha.
‘Drug problem exists even today in Punjab’
In Ludhiana, Rahul also spoke about the drug problem in Punjab but stopped short of blaming its INDIA bloc partner Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that is ruling the state.
“The drug issue in Punjab exists even today and it is increasing. Strict action should be taken against it. Punjab should fight against drugs with full authority and aggression,” said the Congress leader.
He also criticised PM Modi for dividing people on the lines of religion, region, caste and state. Holding a copy of the Constitution, Rahul said, “For the first time, any party and their leaders have said that they will change and scrap the Constitution if they win the election.”
Before starting his speech, Rahul also paid tributes to slain Punjabi singer-turned-politician Shubhdeep Singh, popularly known as Sidhu Moosewala, on his second death anniversary. Moosewala’s father Balkaur Singh was present and life-sized poster of the singer was put up on the stage.
Moosewala was the Congress candidate from Mansa in the 2022 assembly elections but lost to AAP’s Vijay Singla. The 28-year-old was shot dead on May 29, 2002, in Mansa.
Former MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains, who is out on bail in a rape case, along with his brother and former MLA Balwinder Singh Bains were present on the stage along with other Congress leaders.