Rahul Gandhi says BJP playing into hands of big corporates, compromising poor’s interests

Sharpening his attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the run-up to the Assembly polls in Haryana, Congress leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday (September 30, 2024) said the BJP has been playing into the hands of ‘big corporates’ to compromise the interests of country’s poor and downtrodden.

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“I want to find out how many people of which caste are in this country. In Delhi (Centre), 90 officers run the government of India. Other Backward Class (OBC) population is at least 50%, Dalit is about 15% and Adivasi (tribal) about 8%, minority around 15%, and they all makeup around 90% of the country’s population. These 90 officers, who prepare the country’s Budget and make decisions, come and tell us that the poor can’t be given money, farmers’ loans can’t be waived, and insurance money can’t be given instantly, among them only three officers are OBCs even though their population is 50%. Moreover, these OBC officers are not given roles in the big Ministries. In the big Ministries, people are from that 8%-9% category, from their families only… Dalits are 15%, but when it comes to decision- making, their involvement is negligible. That’s why the Congress wants to find out how many Dalits, OBCs and Adivaisis are there in the country, besides finding their number in the institutions, and businesses,” said Mr. Gandhi in Haryana’s Naraingarh in Ambala district, as he declared to conduct caste-survey in Haryana, once the Congress forms the government in the State.

Mr. Gandhi along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led the party’s ‘Vijay Sankalp Yatra’ to garner support ahead of the Assembly election, slated for October 5 in the State. Senior Congress leaders from Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Kumari Selja also participated in the event.

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Mr. Gandhi alleged that the Central Government is a puppet government, whose strings were in the hands of the ‘Adanis’ and the ‘Ambanis’. “..a new word ‘vikas’ [development] has come forth, land is required for development, but whose land – only of the poor and farmers, the land of rich is not required for development. Not even an acre of land has been taken from ‘Adani’ or ‘Ambani’ for development, but from farmers’ several acres of land is taken in the name of development. Farmlands are being finished,” he said.

Taking a dig at the BJP surrounding the ‘Agniveers’, Mr. Gandhi alleged that the Agnipath scheme is an attempt to snatch the pension of the soldiers. “While the normal soldier gets a pension for life, the Agriveers will not get any pension, which means their money is being snatched,” he said.

Mr. Gandhi said under the BJP regime, the common man continues to struggle as it gives benefits to big corporates and industrialists, however, the Congress aims to protect the interests of the poor, labourers, and farmers.