Congress manifesto can change the face of India: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, 6 April termed the party’s manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections as ‘revolutionary’, which can change the face of the country.

He said the manifesto could bring about a change in the lives of the poor, farmers, youth, and women of the country.

The Congress leader was addressing a public meeting at Tukkuguda on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Saturday evening to release the Telugu version of the party’s poll manifesto, which was unveiled in Delhi on Friday, 5 April.

Highlighting the five guarantees in the manifesto, Rahul Gandhi said they will be implemented in the country just like the party implemented the guarantees given in Telangana.

“We have shown in Telangana that whatever Congress promises, it delivers,” Rahul Gandhi said, as he recalled that a few months ago, the party had released the guarantees for Telangana from the same venue.

AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, AICC in-charge for Telangana Deepa Dasmunshi, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, state ministers, and party leaders attended the public meeting on Saturday, the first addressed by Rahul Gandhi after the Congress came to power in Telangana in December last year.

Addressing the gathering, the Congress MP said the party manifesto reflects the voice and aspirations of the people of India.

“At a time when the unemployment rate in the country is at its highest in 40 years, the Congress regime in Telangana provided government jobs to 30,000 people, while another 50,000 people will get jobs soon,” he said.

Asserting that the Constitution of India protects all sections of people, including Dalits, tribals, backward classes, minorities, and the poor, he alleged that the BJP wants to repeal the Constitution.

“But we will not allow this to happen. This is the fight to save the Constitution and democracy,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of working for 3-4 per cent of the people with the media, money power, intelligence agencies, CBI, and ED by his side.

Referring to the phone-tapping allegations against the previous BRS government in Telangana, Rahul Gandhi alleged that ex-CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao tapped the phones of thousands of people by misusing the intelligence agencies and the police.

“As soon as the government changed, they threw government data and computers in the river,” he claimed.

The Congress leader also alleged that what KCR did in Telangana is being done by the Prime Minister and the BJP in Delhi.

“The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has become the Extortion Directorate. The BJP is running the world's biggest washing machine. Most corrupt ministers and leaders are standing with the Prime Minister. He has also appointed his own people in the Election Commission,” the Congress leader claimed.

Terming electoral bonds as the world’s biggest scam, he claimed that companies were given contracts in return for their donations to the BJP in the form of electoral bonds.

“The CBI threatens a company and in the same month, the company gives crores of rupees to the BJP. Infrastructure projects worth thousands of crores are given to companies 15-20 days after they donate crores of rupees to the BJP,” he claimed.

Stating that all the bank accounts of the Congress have been freezed, Rahul Gandhi said, “We are not scared of them. We defeated BJP’s B team here and in the coming elections, we will defeat the A team."

Rahul Gandhi also said that 50 per cent of the country’s population belongs to the backward classes, including 15 per cent Dalits, 8 per cent tribals, and 15 per cent minorities, among others.

“But if you see institutions and top companies in the country, you will not see representation from these sections of the society,” he claimed.

The MP also said that there is no one from these sections among the owners of the top 200 companies in the country.

He also reiterated that once voted to power, the Congress will undertake a caste census.

“This X-ray of the country will reveal the truth. This will be followed by a financial and institutional survey to tell the country which section has the country’s wealth in its hands. After this, we will start revolutionary work and give people their rights,” he claimed.

Alleging that the BJP is spreading hatred in the country by making one community fight against the other, he said Telangana has sent a message to the entire nation by opening lakhs of shops "to spread love in the market of hatred".

Reiterating that his relationship with Telangana is not political, but that of family and love, he assured the youth of the state that he will stand by them for his entire life.