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Priyanka Gandhi raps BJP over ‘Rivaz Badlenge’ call
The Congress general secretary said if voted to power, her party with restore Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for employees
Trashing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘Rivaz Badlenge’ call, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday said she disagrees with the idea and “people of Himachal should change the government for their good and better future of the children”.
Addressing Congress’ election rally at Mandi, the home turf of chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, Priyanka said in the present time, money-power, fake promises, and self-interest were dominating the Indian polity.
“You people have maintained a good tradition of changing the government every five years. Politicians learn from this. They learn that they have five years to work or else they will be thrown out of power,” she said.
“So, brothers and sisters, this is good tradition; don’t change it, or you will be at loss,” she added, citing an example that way back in 1862 when people in Mandi had thrown out Wazir Narrotam, minister of the local king, who would exploit people.
Calling upon the people to exercise their franchise with due diligence, she said that before casting their votes, people should think about what the present government has done for them in five years.
“There are some big leaders from the state. The chief minister himself hails from Mandi, but what has he done for Mandi except for his constituency,” she asked.
She said the youth of the state were jobless, despite 63,000 posts lying vacant in government departments. “You are not getting these jobs because the government had no intention. There are scams in the recruitment whether in university or police, she alleged.
The youth of Himachal are ready to sacrifice their lives for the country, Gandhi said, but the government brought the Agnipath scheme for recruitment into the armed forces and doesn’t want to give them rank and pension.
Taking on the BJP over the unrelenting inflation, Gandhi said milk, curd, cooking oil, petrol and even apple packaging material along with almost every household thing has become expensive as the government has imposed GST on everything.
Any scheme of the government, she alleged, was aimed at benefiting its capitalist friends, and the farmers don’t have a right to fix the prices of their produce.
“When such a situation arises in any state people must get aware,” she said adding that Mandi’s economy was dependent on agriculture, horticulture and employees and under the present regime, everything is in a mess.
She further said that the employees are fighting for the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and if voted to power, the Congress government, in its first cabinet meeting, will restore the OPS for employees.
Speaking on the occasion, Chattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel said the incumbent government had dashed the hopes of the people of Himachal, and they were waiting for November 12 to throw BJP out of power.
