Rahul Gandhi to Narendra Modi: Are you ready to lift 50% cap?
Rahul Gandhi to Narendra Modi: Are you ready to lift 50% cap?
HYDERABAD: Throwing a challenge to the BJP, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said if PM Narendra Modi was serious about improving the lives of SCs, STs, and OBCs, then he should announce to the people his readiness to remove the 50% cap on reservations.
Reiterating that the biggest issue before the nation was of enhancing quotas beyond 50%, Rahul accused the PM and BJP of trying to end quotas.
“Congress has clearly mentioned in its manifesto that it will go beyond 50% limit and increase quotas after a socio-economic caste census. But till today PM Modi in his election speeches has not said the BJP will cross the 50% barrier. On the contrary, Modi, BJP and RSS want to remove the existing reservations given by BR Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi. This is a crucial LS poll to save the Constitution and reservations,” Rahul said addressing meetings in Nirmal of Adilabad ST reserved LS seat and later at Gadwal of Nagarkurnool SC reserved LS constituency.
Crores of women to be lakhpatis: Rahul Gandhi
He said, “The Constitution has provided reservations, various rights and everything that the poor have got since Independence. Modi and BJP want to change this Constitution whereas the Congress wants to protect it.” “Let us all come together to protect the Constitution, enhance reservations and defeat this Modi-led BJP govt which works only for 22 to 25 rich corporates, let us remove this govt which wants to snatch reservations and privatise everything and bring in a pro-poor, a farmer-friendly, pro-labourers, OBC, Dalit, Adivasi govt,” he said while showing a copy of the Constitution to the audience.
Rahul said if the Congress was voted to power, it will waive crop loans of farmers, provide legal status to MSP and deposit `1 lakh per annum into accounts of one woman from every poor family. While Modi has pushed the youth of the country into unemployment trap, the Congress was guaranteeing an apprenticeship (job) of one year to graduates and diploma holders, he said. While Modi govt did not waive off crop loans of poor farmers, it waived off loans of its corporate friends, Rahul said, adding that a Congress govt will instead make crores of women lakhpatis. The Congress will also enhance daily wages under MNREGA from `250 to `400 per day and double the income of ASHA and Anganwadi employees, he said.
“The Congress will remove contract job system and give regular jobs in govt sector. A list of poor families will be prepared to extend welfare schemes,” he said, adding that the caste census will reveal the socio-economic condition and share of various castes and communities in govt schemes.
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