Ahead of the Gujarat assembly elections later this year, the Congress is going all out to attract voters. Former party chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday promised a loan waiver of up to ₹3 lakhs to farmers, LPG cylinders at ₹500 and up to 300 units of free power to general consumers if his party comes to power in the state.
Addressing the ‘Parivartan Sankalp Rally’ in Ahmedabad, Rahul Gandhi also promised free electricity to farmers, the creation of 10 lakh new jobs, the building of 3,000 English-medium schools, and free education for girls.
The Congress MP from Kerala’s Wayanad said, “If we come to power in the state, Congress will give ₹4 lakh compensation to the families of the people who died during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ll give free electricity to farmers and 300 units of free electricity to general consumers.”
He further promised free education to girls and employment to 10 lakh youth in Gujarat. “We will open up 3,000 English-medium schools and will give free education to girls. Gas cylinders, which are being sold at ₹1,000 as of now, will be given at ₹500,” said Gandhi.
“I want to end unemployment…” The focus will be to give employment to 10 lakh youth in Gujarat… I guarantee it if Congress forms the government in Gujarat,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi also lamented that though the BJP erected the tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhai Patel in the state, it paid little respect to him.
“I know what you people have been facing in Gujarat for the past 25 years. Your fight is not with a political party. This is a Congress vs BJP fight. You need to understand what you are fighting. The Sardar Patel statue was made by the BJP here,” Gandhi said. “But what was Sardar Patel? What did he fight for? Sardar Patel was not a man. You made his statue, but he was the voice of the farmers of Gujarat and India,” he added.
“He never spoke anything ill about farmers in any of his speeches. Sardar Patel made the institutions of Gujarat. Without him, there would not be an Amul. If Sardar Patel had been alive today, will he waive the loans of industrialists or that of farmers?” Gandhi questioned.
Attacking the BJP, Gandhi said that the institutions of the country mostly remain neutral and work as umpire, whether it is the police, election commission, media or others acting as umpires.
“But in Gujarat, the institutions built by Sardar Patel have been captured by the BJP,” he said. People are not fighting against a political party, but you are fighting against all institutions,” he said.
Talking about the massive drug seizure from Gujarat’s Mundra port, Gandhi said, “Gujarat has now become the centre of drugs. All drugs are coming from Mundra Port but the government is not acting against it.”
“Why no probe? What is the reason that after every two-three months drugs are seized which are destroying the future of the children of Gujarat? There must be some reason. But crores of drugs were seized at Mundra port and the police won’t act,” he said.