JAMSHEDPUR: On the second day of his campaign blitzkrieg in Jharkhand, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday claimed that inflation and unemployment had reached an all-time high under PM Narendra Modi-led NDA govt, and singled out “politics of hate, violence, and anger” as the reasons behind what he alleged was a crashing economy.
Addressing election rallies in Jamshedpur and at Baghmara in Dhanbad, the former Congress president said the INDIA bloc govt in the state was trying to boost the state’s economy by injecting cash into the accounts of the poor families to increase their purchasing power.
The Congress MP reiterated his “khatakhat” promise, a much-used rhetoric during the Lok Sabha polls, citing the INDIA bloc’s poll manifesto that promises Rs 2,500 per month to women. “We are bringing in a new health insurance scheme, under which complicated surgeries and medical procedures costing up to Rs 15 lakh would be conducted free of cost,” Rahul announced.
He also accused PM Modi and BJP of being anti-poor. In a pitch to the tribal voters, he said in Baghmara: “Adivasis are the first owners of our land, but they (BJP) insult you by calling you forest dwellers (vanvasis). Modi is not keen on a caste census. We, the INDIA bloc, will conduct the caste census. We will also remove the 50% reservation ceiling,” he said.
At his rally in Jamshedpur, too, the Amethi MP continued his tirade against the PM, blaming him for the country’s economic woes and accusing him of practising crony capitalism. “Unemployment has spread across the country due to Modi’s wrong policies. Policies such as demonetisation and the GST were weapons to kill the poor, farmers and workers. Modi has not waived your farm loans, education loans for your children, or home loans. However, he has waived off Rs 16 lakh crore loans for 25 businessmen in this country,” he said.
Rahul also reiterated his rhetoric of “Constitution being under threat” under Prime Minister Modi govt. Waving a copy of the Constitution, he said: “Forget changing the Constitution, no one can even touch it. This country belongs to everyone, and all must live together in harmony and with love.”