New Delhi: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge greets party leader Sonia Gandhi before she takes oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan, in New Delhi, Thursday, April 4, 2024. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her husband Robert Vadra are also seen.(IANS/AICC)
Jaipur, April 6 (IANS) Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said that India is not the property of a few people but belongs to everyone.
“This country is not the property of a few people. It belongs to everyone. Our ancestors have watered it with blood,” Sonia Gandhi said while addressing a massive rally on the launch of ‘Nyay’ manifesto for the Lok Sabha 2024 elections in Jaipur.
She said that for the last 10 years, the country has been in the hands of a government which has left no stone unturned in promoting unemployment and economic crisis.
“Whatever the Modi government has done is in front of us. This time is full of despair but know that with despair hope is also born. I have full confidence that our Congress colleagues will light the lamp of justice and will move ahead braving thousands of storms,” she said.
She said that PM Modi considers himself great but the (BJP government) is violating democratic norms and instilling fear in the entire system.
“This is a dictatorship. Our democracy is in danger,” Sonia Gandhi said.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi were also present on the occasion.
Kharge attacked PM Modi, saying that he has been taking credit for everything without doing anything.
“Is it PM Modi's job to take credit without doing any actual work? This man goes everywhere and says I did this, I did that. How many guarantees have they given to us before?” Kharge asked.
He said that in the first guarantee, PM Modi told the youth that he would provide two crore jobs every year.
“20 crore jobs were to be given in 10 years. Have the youth of the country got 20 crore jobs? He said Rs 15 lakh will be deposited in everyone’s account. Has this amount been deposited to the accounts? Modi is PM. How can he lie,” Kharge asked.
He said that PM Modi has been confusing people, he did nothing for the country and yet says that Congress did nothing for the country in 70 years.
He said that IIT, airport and AIIMS have been brought by Congress and PM Modi still says that he is developing the country.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi said that unemployment is at its highest.
“You have seen how the BJP government has worked in the last 10 years. What have they done to eradicate the nation from the evil of unemployment,” she asked.
On the Agnipath scheme, Priyanka Gandhi said that this scheme dashed the hope of lakhs of youths who wanted to get into the Army.
She said that paper-leak has become a common problem in all states and it is one of the reasons that youths are not getting jobs.
“Inflation is also rising each day. The LPG cylinders price was slashed only two months before elections,” she added.
She also criticised the Rajasthan government Priyanka for scrapping the Chiranjivi scheme. “Health insurance worth Rs 25 lakh was reduced to Rs 5 lakh,” she added.
Kharge, Sonia and Priyanka in Jaipur; to publicly launch poll manifesto
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, former President Sonia Gandhi and senior party leader Priyanka Gandhi reached Jaipur airport on Saturday.
These Congress leaders will ‘publicly launch’ the Congress manifesto in a rally which will be organised in Jaipur at Vidhyadhar Nagar on Saturday afternoon around 1 p.m.
Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra said, “Congress' ‘Nyaya Patra’, which guarantees justice to the country, will be launched today in Jaipur in the presence of lakhs of people by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.”
Sachin Pilot, Ashok Gehlot and the Rajasthan Congress leaders will also be present on the occasion, said party workers.
With this rally, Congress is trying to tap Jaipur, Jaipur Rural, Dausa, Sikar, Tonk-Sawai Madhopur Lok Sabha seats. Party sources said that it will leave no stone unturned to give a tough fight to the BJP.
After this Jaipur meeting, Congress' star campaigners will continue visiting different districts and organise roadshows, rallies and election meets.
To date, only Mallikarjun Kharge held a meeting in Chittorgarh after the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections, on April 4. Apart from him, no other central leader visited Rajasthan for campaigning. On the other hand, the top brass of the BJP has been making constant tours of Rajasthan.
PM Narendra Modi has held two rallies and will be holding a third rally in Pushkar on Saturday. Union Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda have recently visited Jhalawad.
Now Congress is also scheduling meetings of star campaigners, said party workers.
