Rahul Gandhi promises to make crores of people 'lakhpati' if voted to power

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, 7 May, criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged that he wanted to hand over 'Jal, Jungle, Jameen' belonging to tribals to industrialists.

Addressing an election rally in Jharkhand's Chaibasa, Gandhi promised to make crores of people 'lakhpati' if voted to power.

Asserting that this Lok Sabha election is for saving the Constitution and the rights of tribals, poor and backward, he said INDIA bloc leaders were ready to sacrifice their lives to save the Constitution.

The former Congress president said, "PM wants to hand over the 'Jal, Jungle, Jameen' of the tribals to 14-15 industrialists... Narendra Modi works for Adani, Ambani... he made 22 people billionaires in his 10-year tenure... We will provide Rs 1 lakh annually to poor women if voted to power."

"The BJP wants to confine tribals to roles like domestic helps. They never want you to become doctors, engineers and lawyers. They want to hand over jungles to industrialists... The country is being run by 90 IAS officers and out of them, there is only one tribal who has been sidelined in Delhi. The tribal population is around 8 per cent in the country," he said.

He also attacked the press for its alleged partisan role and claimed that majority of the media houses are run by industrialists.

Gandhi promised to provide one-year apprenticeships to unemployed diploma holders and graduates.

"If voted to power, we will give apprenticeship opportunities to unemployed graduates and diploma holders and pay Rs 8,000 per month," he added.

He announced that the INDIA bloc would compile a list of impoverished people, including those from tribal, Dalit, and OBC communities, to identify those living below the poverty line. Additionally, he pledged to provide Rs 8,500 per month to women, amounting to Rs 1 lakh annually.

He also promised to scrap the contractual job system in PSUs and said reservation will be increased to above 50 per cent.

"The Congress government will assure MSP (minimum support price) for all products by farmers; MNREGA daily allowance will be raised from Rs 250 to Rs 400 and remuneration of ASHA and anganwadi workers will be doubled," he said.

Talking about jailed former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Gandhi said the BJP has put the tribal CM behind the bars but "Hemant Soren chootega (he will be released)" to which the crowd responded with slogans like "Jail ka tala tutega, Hemant Soren chootega (jail locks will be broken, Hemant Soren will be released).

Addressing the rally, Hemant's Soren's Kalpana asked the gathering whether it was right to put her husband behind the bars before the election.

"INDIA bloc will give a befitting reply to it with 'vote ki chot (strike with vote)' on 13 May, the date Singhbhum Lok Sabha seat goes to poll.

Leaders including Gandhi appealed people to vote for INDIA bloc candidate Joba Manjhi of JMM, who is contesting against BJP's Geeta Kora.