Nagpur: It was raining promises for the farmers at Paratwada in Amravati district. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi promised them multiple farmloan waivers and the setting up of an agriculture commission to solve farmers’ problems if the INDIA bloc is voted to power.
Addressing a massive rally at Paratwada for the Congress candidate, Balwant Wankhede, who is pitted against the sitting MP of Amravati, Navneet Rana of the BJP, Gandhi said that whenever farmers in any state require loan waiver, this commission will recommend the loan waiver to the government that will announce it. Loan waivers need not be one time but can be done multiple times, he added. Follow full coverage of the Lok Sabha elections here.
He said that Prime Minister Modi has not waived farmers’ loans even once in the last 10 years, but when the INDIA bloc comes to power, they will immediately waive farmers’ loans.
Gandhi continued, “There is no dearth of wealth in this country. You look at the country’s crorepati industrialists; see their houses, cars and you will realize that there is no shortage of wealth in the country. If the loans of crorepati industrialists can be waived, then the loans of poor farmers should also be waived. The central government is waiving loans of industrialists. Loans of farmers should also be waived off. Otherwise, nobody should be given a loan waiver in the country.”
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Lashing out at the BJP government at the centre, Gandhi accused them of making 20-25 people crorepatis. “We are going to make crores of people lakhpatis,” said Rahul Gandhi.
Read the Congress manifesto, he said as he explained many points from it during his 20-minute speech. “First thing, we will bring Mahalakshmi Yojana. We will also make a list of every poor family. Millions of people live below the poverty line in India. Their list will be prepared. One woman’s name will be selected from each poor family. The government of the INDIA block will directly deposit ₹1 lakh in the bank account of this woman every year,” he said and asserted that the government will also ensure that crores of women in the country become lakhpatis.
The Congress leader claimed that the Narendra Modi-led BJP wanted to change the Constitution because it did not want 90% of the population, which comprises backwards, tribals, Dalits and minorities, realize their true potential. The 2024 general election is for the protection of democracy and Constitution, which the BJP is eying to change. “BJP is the first political party in India which has dared to attack the Constitution,” Gandhi said and charged that NDA, RSS and BJP are bent on ending the Constitution. “The Constitution is the voice of backward classes. No force in the world can change the Constitution. I wonder what gave the BJP confidence to even think of doing so,” he said.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a veiled attack on the prime minister Narendra Modi over the electoral bonds scheme that was scrapped by the Supreme Court terming it unconstitutional. Indicating action after coming to power, Gandhi said that the theft in the scheme was to such an extent that Modi would be in trouble after the polls.
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He made the remarks while holding a campaign rally for the Congress candidate Praniti Shinde and NCP (SP) candidate Dhairyasheel Mohite Patil in Solapur on Wednesday.
“Theft in the electoral bonds scheme is at such a level that after polls he (PM Modi) would be in trouble hence he is nervous and making false claims,” Gandhi said addressing a huge gathering. “PM Modi is scared and wants to distract your attention. He knows that he is losing the polls. The people have understood the reality that Modi is the leader of the crorepati and not of the poor class,” he added.
Rahul said that the electoral bond scheme was brought in claiming that PM Modi wanted to eliminate corruption and clean up political funding but he started misusing it as an extortion racket. “It came to light only after the SC forced the State Bank of India to reveal the list of donors under the scheme, which subsequently revealed that the companies were forced to donate funds to the BJP by the means of raids (by the central investigation agencies),” he accused.
“There are cases where companies donated funds to the BJP days after a CBI raid and the case was closed after receiving donation. He has started an extortion racket of international level,” he further charged.
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