With ‘2 lakh comments, 10,000 e-mails’, Rahul Gandhi discusses public feedback on Congress manifesto

With ‘2 lakh comments, 10,000 e-mails’, Rahul Gandhi discusses public feedback on Congress manifesto

The Congress released its 46-page manifesto titled “Nyay Patra” on April 5, announcing a slew of promises ahead of the Lok Sabha polls scheduled to begin on April 19.

While the Congress manifesto elicited a range of reactions from the ruling BJP, party leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday highlighted the “positive feedback” received from the general public. He was seen going through several suggestions on the manifesto, in a video titled ‘2 lakh comments, 10,000 e-mails aur Madhuri ke saath Manifesto par baatcheet’ on his official YouTube channel.

“Lot of mails on Agniveer scheme, people from the middle class have spoken about taxes and have received a lot of positive feedback in general,” the Congress leader said.

“This manifesto has been designed on the basis of justice and development. From the responses we have received, it has become clear that you (people) have liked it,” the video description read.

In its manifesto, the grand old party outlined steps to create jobs, hoping to woo the youth, even as it has offered cash doles to women besides pledging to reserve 50 per cent of central government jobs for them. For the marginalised, it promised lifting the 50% cap on quota for SCs, STs and OBCs in addition to reservation in private educational institutions.

In the video, Rahul also has a telephonic interaction with Madhuri, a person who supposedly sent her suggestions to the party via e-mail. She suggests the leader to “work on the banking system and what they (banks) are doing currently.” She also talks about cost of education in connection with her son, who is currently in Class 12 and is interested in pursuing engineering in Artificial Intelligence.

“I am having a discussion with a set of people in AI, let’s see if we can get him (Madhuri’s son) into that,” Rahul offered.

Another one of the suggestions read: “During the campaigns, keep focus on inflation, unemployment and corruption of current government.”

Responding to a concern which said “giving money to the youth for free is very dangerous for the long term,” he said “It is an in-house training… a skill-building programme of sorts, after which they get Rs 1 lakh.”

Further, the “Nyay Patra” also promises a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for farmers’ crops, cashless insurance up to Rs 25 lakh for universal healthcare, and offers compulsory and free education from Class I to Class XII in public schools.

Talking about this, Rahul added: “We haven’t gone into the specifics for MSP, but have guaranteed legal MSP. The point is to use one logic, not two. It cannot be different for farmers and billionaires.”

‘Main difference between the Congress and the BJP’

In terms of job creation, he added that there is a strategy in the manifesto to support Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The youth must understand that the country doesn’t benefit from “jobless growth,” Rahul Gandhi said, emphasising the “main difference” between the opposition Congress and the BJP.

“Even if there’s 9, 10 or 15 per cent growth, there is no use unless there is employment. The main difference between the Congress and the BJP is that we are talking about growth with jobs, but they are talking about growth with unemployment.”

Gandhi also encouraged people to continue sending their feedback and suggestions regarding the manifesto. “It gives us information and direction,” he signed off.

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