Khargone (MP): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made up his mind to alter and scrap the Constitution, a move he said will deprive tribals and other sections of their guaranteed rights and destroy public sector.
Addressing a campaign rally at Segaon under Khargone Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi said loans of farmers will be waived and the daily allowance under the MGNREGA scheme will be raised from Rs 250 to Rs 400 soon after the alliance government is formed at the Centre.
“These elections are being fought to save the Constitution and reservations extended to the poor and protect the rights on land, jungle and employment. But Modiji has made up his mind to change and scrap it (Constitution),” he said.
Khargone (reserved for Scheduled Tribe) will vote on May 13.
After coming to power, the opposition alliance would enact a law to ensure that farmers get the minimum support price (MSP) for their produce, the Congress leader said.
“Soon after coming to power at the Centre, our government will waive loans of farmers and raise the MGNREGA allowance from Rs 250 to Rs 400 per day,” he said.
Gandhi also said if the Constitution is scrapped, the rights of people will cease to exist.
“Your (rights on) land, water, jungle, and reservations will end, the public sector will be finished and the rule of 20 to 25 rich people will kick in. Arabpatis (billionaires) like (Gautam) Adani want your land, water, and jungle, which will be snatched and handed over to them (if BJP gets a third term),” he alleged.
Gandhi further claimed that Modi wanted to give the tribals’ land, water and jungle to his “special friend” Adani.
Airports, power stations, and infrastructure have already been given to 22 to 25 multi-billionaires by Modi, he alleged.
“Modi has failed to provide employment in the last 10 years. Tribals are migrating to other states for jobs. While your loans are not written off, loans worth Rs 16 lakh crore of 22 rich people have been waived,” Gandhi said.
Modi has waived loans of men like Adani and given the cumulative 24-year spending under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to such people, but he has not waived the debt of the poor and farmers, he alleged.
“Narendra Modi has made 22 people multi-billionaires. We are going to make crores of people lakhpatis,” Gandhi said.
He also underlined the alleged disparity in the payment of tax by the common people and the super-rich.
“The amount you pay in tax, Adani also pays the same (amount) in tax. People of the country are not reaping the benefits of the tax they pay,” he claimed.
Gandhi also raised the 2016 demonetisation of high-value currencies and the GST rollout to attack the Modi government.
“Narendra Modiji has promised 2 crore jobs to the youth (annually). But small-scale industries and factories have shut down due to the wrong Goods and Services Tax and the note-ban, whereas people like Adani are profited (due to these measures),” he alleged.
Gandhi claimed unemployment in the country is currently the highest in the last 45 years.
He reiterated that the BJP is disrespecting tribal people by calling them “vanvasis” (forest dwellers) instead of “Adivasis”.
“Adivasi means you are the first master and the real owner of Hindustan,” he said and recalled various initiatives like the Forest Land Right Act implemented by the previous Congress-led UPA government.
“They are destroying your jungles to turn you labourers,” he added.
Gandhi said the Congress is keen to turn crores of people into “lakhpathis” in the country.
The INDI alliance government will deposit Rs 1 lakh into the accounts of poor women to make them lakhpatis, he said.
“Under the Mahalaxmi Yojana, a poor woman will be given Rs 1 lakh (annually) until her family comes out of poverty, which means she will get Rs 8,500 per month,” Gandhi added.
