Rahul Vows to End Agniveer Hiring Scheme

Mumbai: Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday announced a loan waiver to the farmers in the country if his party comes to power at the Centre. In addition to this, he also promised to give a statutory minimum support price (MSP) for the tillers’ produces. The Congress leader said that they would scrap the Agniveer scheme once his party is voted to power. Gandhi addressed his first election rally in Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha constituency, where the party has fielded its candidate Prashant Padole. The Congress is contesting the Lok Sabha seat after 25 years as it was contested by the NCP. Bhandara-Gondia is going to poll in the first phase on April 19.

The senior Congress leader said that they would come up with a Right to apprenticeship in the country for the youth. It will give a stipend of Rs 1 lakh to the youth in a year. Lashing out at the Narendra Modi government, he said that 30 lakh vacancies have not been filled in the last 10 years. Congress would fill all the vacancies, he assured. Addressing a public rally at Sakoli in



Bhandara district, Gandhi said that the Modi government has worked only for 22 industrialists including Adani in the last 10 years.

“This is not the Modi government but it is the Adani government,” he said. Taking a dig at the media houses, the senior Congress leader said the media has turned blind eye towards the main issues such as unemployment and inflation. “If you watch 24 hours TV (news channel), it will not telecast any news related to unemployment and inflation. You are not going to find any farmers and workers, but you will watch stars, cricketers and Narendra Modi (on the TV),” he said.

Praising the women’s contribution in the country, he said that the women, who are working at home and taking care of their children, will be provided monetary assistance from the government if the Congress party comes to power. “A woman of that family, who comes under the below poverty line, will be provided `1 lakh annually,” Gandhi said.