E-Paper
Mann a good man, but should keep control in his hands: Rahul
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi culminated the Punjab leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra with a state-level rally targeting Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, the BJP government at the Centre and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Thursday.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi culminated the Punjab leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra with a state-level rally targeting Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, the BJP government at the Centre and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Thursday.
Addressing the rally Rahul said BJP-RSS policies “create fear” among the people.
“BJP-RSS are spreading an atmosphere of fear, violence and hate in the country. They make two religions fight each other and create a rift between them. Similarly, they create a rift among the people based on caste and language. All their plans are to scare people,” Rahul said.
Pointing towards the policies of the previous UPA government, Rahul said it brought MGNREGA, waived farm loans, urban renewal mission, green revolution and white revolution to help people.
“If you see the plans of the UPA government, all the work was done to reduce the fear,” Rahul said.
Rahul again attacked the AAP government in Punjab, alleging that it was being run with a remote control pointing towards AAP MP Raghav Chadha for calling the shots in the Bhagwant Mann-led government in the state.
Taking on AAP chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Rahul said, “Ab Delhi Ke Paranthe Se Kam Nahi Chalne Wala. Nothing can be imposed on Punjab. You have your language, Gurus and history.”
“During the last meeting, I asked Bhagwant Mann to not let Punjab run by remote control. Congress will fight AAP in Punjab. When I asked the meaning of remote control government, the farmers replied ‘Raghav Chadha’,” the Wayanad MP said adding, “Your money was used for AAP campaign and advertisements in Gujarat polls.”
Besides Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, leader of opposition in Punjab, Partap Singh Bajwa, former Punjab chief ministers Charanjit Singh Channi and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, senior Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Harish Chaudhary, KC Venugopal and Digvijay Singh among others were present at the rally.
He said the yatra, which started from Kanyakumari and now moves to Jammu and Kashmir in the final leg, was started against inflation, unemployment and hatred and also to connect the people of this country.
Thanking the people of Punjab, he said the yatris were offered all the help. “You may call it love or Punjabiyat, you may give different names. I want to thank you from my heart,” Gandhi said.
Targeting the Centre for all the problems faced by the farmers Rahul said farmers do not want much in return but respect.
“Farmers get up at 4 am and toil hard daily to produce food for the country. Instead, the BJP introduced three ‘black’ farm laws to create fear among farmers. The government takes money under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, but farmers were not getting compensation for their crop damage caused due to the vagaries of weather,” Rahul claimed.
Rahul said the introduction of the Agnipath scheme has shattered the dreams of lakhs of youths.
“This scheme has weakened the Indian Armed Forces. What these three black laws did with the farmers, the Agnipath scheme is doing with the armed forces,” the Congress leader said.
He also targeted the government on GST and said its faulty implementation and demonetisation spread havoc in two industrial towns of Punjab –Ludhiana and Jalandhar.
“Ludhiana was once a centre of small and medium manufacturing and competed with China. It was famous for auto parts, textile, and bicycle manufacturing. Jalandhar was known for sporting goods. Demonetization and GST regime scared all these businesses and industries”, the Wayanad MP said.
Rahul alleged that the “Sole motive of the BJP is to scare people and give the fruit of their tapasya to two-three billionaires of the country after snatching from the people.”
Addressing the rally Kharge said during the BJP’s two-day national executive meeting instead of discussing the issue of national security the party has started preparing for the elections. “Be it in Manu Smriti or the RSS, women have no place in these ideologies. I was watching a video of the Taliban suppressing women, denying them education,” Kharge said.
Leader of Opposition in Punjab Partap Singh Bajwa and PPCC president Raja Warring also asked Rahul to be alert of the “opportunists”, though accommodating leaders from other parties is not unfair.
“We should get those leaders into the fold of Congress, who has Congress in his blood and wants to see Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister of the country”. Partap Singh Bajwa also raised this demand more assertively, “Requesting him (Rahul Gandhi) to be declared as PM candidate of the party. “Proxy rule has harmed us. You are our PM candidate,” he added.
