The Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra - that was launched last month - aims to fight for the interests of farmers, labourers, and small and medium scale enterprises, Rahul Gandhi said on Monday in Karnataka as he alleged that the BJP government in the southern state “was the most corrupt in the country”. “The BJP government is also against the SC/ ST (scheduled caste/ scheduled tribes) communities,” the 52-year-old leader said as he claimed that the recommendations of Nagamohan Das Commission report were not being implemented.
“The government of Karnataka is the most corrupt in the country. They take 40 per cent commission on every single transaction. Thirteen thousand private schools have given 40 per cent commision,” he said on Monday, stepping up the grand old party’s attack, which recently launched the PayCM campaign to further its claims of corruption against the Basavraj Bommai government. The campaign - named to remind of the Paytm transaction app - drew flak from the authorities.
“Don’t take my word for it. The BJP MLAs themselves are saying this is the most corrupt government. A BJP MLA himself has said that the CM’s post can be bought for Rs. 2,500 crore. Jobs are for sale in Karnataka… police, sub-inspectors’ posts were sold for ₹80 lakh… assistant professors’ posts are sold. Everything that they can sell, they sell,” Gandhi said, stressing that the Bharat Jodo Yatra is “for fighting hatred, anger, unemployment, inflation, dramatic rise in prices of commodities.
The Congress’s Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir mass contact programme, which began last month, has covered Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and marches are being held in Karnataka now. It is set to be welcomed in Maharashtra by former union minister and Congress ally Sharad Pawar.
{{/usCountry}}The Congress’s Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir mass contact programme, which began last month, has covered Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and marches are being held in Karnataka now. It is set to be welcomed in Maharashtra by former union minister and Congress ally Sharad Pawar.
{{/usCountry}}All this while, Rahul Gandhi has not relented from attacking the BJP even as the grand old party’s internal problems surfaced last month in Rajasthan.
“We are not going to tolerate an unfair India. We can’t tolerate a country where millions of our youngsters can’t get a job… where millions and millions are grounding under the weight of rising prices. Farmers ask why they have to pay GST for fertilizers. Housewives are worried about price hikes,” Gandhi said on Monday.
The comments come as the Congress looks to revive its grip on the grassroots in Karnataka ahead of assembly polls next year.