Mandya: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar during an election campaign rally in support of the partys candidate from Mandya constituency Venkataramane Gowda (Star Chandru) ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, in Mandya district, Wednesday, April 17, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
Mandya: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched his campaign for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka from Mandya, on Wednesday, highlighting the party’s assurances like ‘Pehli naukri pakki’ for youths, one lakh rupees financial support for women and targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing the electoral bonds as a form of extortion.
Addressing more than 10,000 people, on the premises of Mandya University (Unitary), Rahul said, this Lok Sabha election is a fight between two ideologies. “While the Congress and INDI alliance partners are fighting to save the Constitution and democracy, the BJP and RSS are trying to finish them off,” he said.
‘Form of extortion’
Targeting Modi on electoral bonds, the Congress leader termed it a ‘form of extortion’. Mentioning Modi’s interview to a private channel, Modi said Modi was shaking, while justifying the electoral bond issue.
“The PM said that the electoral bonds would help to clean up the political system. But electoral bonds are the biggest scam in the world,” he said.
Continuing his tirade against the Centre, Rahul said the BJP is pro-rich and waived loans of around Rs 16 lakh crore of 25 corporates and industrialists.
“That amount is equal to 24 years of pay under MGNREGS. The farmers are in distress and are revolting in states where BJP is ruling. The farmers seek only justice and not freebies,” he pointed out.
Revolutionary step
Gandhi said that if I.N.D.I.A. forms the government in Delhi, it would take a revolutionary step by remitting Rs 1 lakh per year to one woman in each family, plus Rs 24,000 from the state government. In all, they will get Rs 1.24 lakh per year, he said.
While the Karnataka government is already remitting Rs 2,000 to women’s accounts of women under Gruha Lakshmi scheme, the Centre will remit Rs 8,500 every month. They will get Rs 10,500 per month. Crores of women will benefit from this, he said.
Unemployed youths, completing a degree or diploma, will be provided an apprenticeship, with quality training, for six months. Crores of trained youths will be ready to be absorbed, he said.
The former AICC president said that during his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, farmers asked him three questions - Why are farmers not getting the right price? While crores of rupees loans of corporate companies are written off, why not farmers’ loans? Why are farmers not benefiting from Pradhan Mantri Bima Yojana?
He assured that the farmers will get a legally guaranteed minimum price, and the insurance claims would be settled within 30 days.