Vijayawada: Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP government led by Narendra Modi has divided India into two countries, one for the rich and wealthy, and other for farmers, the poor and common people.
He said 20 per cent of the people in the country are unable to earn a decent livelihood with meagre earnings of less than Rs 12,000 a month and so the Congress party will transfer Rs 6,000 per month directly into their bank accounts, which would benefit 25 crore people.
Mr Modi is working for the rich such as the Ambanis, and ignoring the welfare of the common people, he said. Mr Gandhi was in Vijayawada on Sunday to address his first public meeting in the city in the MBP mini stadium.
He maintained a positive note in his speech, explaining the schemes his party will implement and did not level any allegations against the Telugu Desam or Jana Sena, but YSR Congress president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy he called a corrupt person.
Borrowing the terminology of his arch rival, Mr Gandhi said the Congress is going to do “surgical strikes” against poverty with the NYAY scheme, which puts money directly into the hands of the poorest families.
He promised to put his signature on the Special Category Status file immediately after becoming PM and further promised to implement Rs 2 lakh agriculture loan waiver scheme within two days of coming to power. He said that the UPA government had moved 14 crore people out of poverty during the 10 years of its rule.
Unemployment is the burning issue in the country, he said, and hence the Congress has decided to promote the unemployed as businessmen under a scheme that will offer bank loans and no requirement of a licence for three years.
Mr Gandhi said that PM Manmohan Singh had given an assurance at the time of the state’s bifurcation that the residuary AP State will get special category status (SCS), but prime minister Modi did not fulfil that obligation.
He stated that the AP government failed to pressurise the BJP government into giving it SCS and fulfil other assurances made at the time.
Mismanagement has prevailed in the state which has been a hurdle for development.
He further said that “you know about the corruption cases against Jagan Reddy”.
He said the BJP had assured creation of crores of jobs but had not delivered.
GST and demonetisation had destroyed small and medium traders and Mr Modi had dismantled many things during the past five years.
He alleged that Mr Modi destroyed MGNREGA and food security, introduced by the Congress-led government for the welfare of the public.
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