Neeraj Mohan
New Delhi, May 6
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today announced to abolish the 50 per cent cap on reservation to provide maximum relief to the people as per their share in the population.
“We are committed to providing the necessary quota to empower Dalits, Adivasis, backward communities and the economically underprivileged. We will provide as much reservation to people as they need,” he declared while addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh.
“This election is a battle to safeguard the Constitution. The BJP and the RSS seek to dismantle it, alter its fundamental principles. Our endeavour is to protect it. They aim to strip away your right to water, forests and land. Prime Minister Modi desires unchecked authority,” he said.
“Modi wants to set aside the Constitution to enjoy absolute power. But, the Congress and the INDIA bloc will not let that happen,” he said. “BJP leaders have explicitly said if they assumed power, they will disregard the Constitution. This is evident from their call for 400 seats. However, they won’t secure even 150 seats,” he added.
Rahul said a caste census and an economic survey were needed so that people could know their actual population and the wealth they control. Right now, Dalits, Adivasis, backward sections and others had no representation in the media, corporate world and decision-making institutions. The atrocities on Adivasis were not being reported in the media because they had no representation in that sector, he said.
Speaking about the Congress manifesto, he said the INDIA government would provide Rs 1 lakh to every poor family every year and there would be a guarantee of “pehli naukri pakki” (guaranteed first job) after completing graduation or diploma.
For the farmers, he said, there would be a legal guarantee of MSP. Their loans would also be waived and the wages of MGNREGA workers hiked from Rs 250 to Rs 400 daily.
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