“If Congress Voted to Power, Cooking Gas at `500, Free Power up to 300 Units & farm loan waiver upto 3 lakhs,” says Shri Rahul Gandhi

Ahmedabad: Former Congress President Shri Rahul Gandhi on September 5, 2022, announced a host of promises including free electricity, farm loan waiver, compensation to Covid-hit families, 10 lakh new jobs and 3,000 new English medium schools for the people of Gujarat, if the Congress is voted to power in the State.

Addressing Congress booth workers at a rally in Ahmedabad, Shri Rahul Gandhi also promised to provide gas cylinder for 500, subsidy to dairy farmers and free education to girls. “The BJP government in Gujarat will waive loans of top industrialists, but have you ever heard of them waiving loans of farmers? I promise to waive loans of up to3 lakhs for each farmer after we come to power in Gujarat as Sardar Patel would have done, contrary to BJP, which writes off the debts of a few industrialists,” he said to thunderous applause from the crowd gathered from across the State.

Taking on the BJP government in the State, Shri Rahul Gandhi stressed that the Congress follows the ideology of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who worked for farmers, built institutions like Amul and fought colonial powers.

“For who did Sardar Patel fight for and why? Sardar Patel was not just a human being. You built the statue of his body, but he was not just a human, he was the voice of the farmers of Gujarat and India. Whatever he said was for the benefit of the farmers of Gujarat and India,” Shri Rahul Gandhi said as he tried to contrast the BJP’s ideology with that of the legendary freedom fighter.

Former Congress President’s speech was sprinkled with references of Sardar Patel saying he gave voice to the farmers against the colonial powers while the BJP government tried to bring the farm laws ‘that were anti-farmer’ and the government was forced to repeal them.

“Farmers from across the country had to come on roads, and the BJP says it fights for the rights of farmers. On one hand, they built the tallest statue of Sardar Patel, and on the other hand, they attacked all those for whom Sardar Patel fought and sacrificed his entire life. What is the meaning of the statue?” Shri Rahul Gandhi wondered.

He exhorted the party workers to ensure that the BJP is defeated in the coming elections, preparing them for a tough ideological battle against the BJP and RSS.

He also reiterated his charge that “State institutions and media have been captured by the BJP government at the Centre” to deny a level-playing field and suppress the voice of the masses. He said that the Congress government would help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and small-business operators who create jobs.

With Gujarat heading for assembly elections by the end of this year, former Congress President Shri Rahul Gandhi came heavily on the ruling BJP saying that the government didn’t take any action even when a large quantity of drugs was recovered from the state’s Mundra port.

“Gujarat has become the centre of drugs. All drugs are moved from Mundra port but Modi Govt. doesn’t take any action,” Shri Rahul Gandhi said during ‘Parivartan Sankalp Rally’.

Taking a swipe at the BJP on same lines, he said, “This is Gujarat model” adding that Gujarat is one state where you’ve to take permission before protesting and permission from those against whom protest will be done.

Rajasthan’s CM Ashok Gehlot and the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Gujarat, Dr. Raghu Sharma also spoke on the occasion along with State Party President Jagdish Thakor, senior leaders Arjun Modhvadia, Bharat Solanki, Shailesh Parmar and others.

After the rally, Shri Rahul Gandhi visited Mahatma Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram to attend a prayer meeting and pay tributes to the Mahatma ahead of his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ to be kicked off on September 7.