lok-sabha-elections

Updated: Mar 12, 2019 10:25 IST

Terming the upcoming Lok Sabha elections a contest between the Congress’ ideology of inclusivity and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideology of fear and hatred, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday promised a minimum income guarantee scheme for all the poor in the country if the party is voted to power.

Addressing booth workers at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi, Gandhi ridiculed Modi for being a coward and said only the Congress can tackle the twin challenges of unemployment and the agrarian crisis.

“The choice is between India of Mahatma Gandhi and that of his assassin [Nathuram] Godse. The fight is between Modi and RSS’ ideology of fear and hatred on one side and the Congress’ ideology of love and inclusivity on the other.

“The Congress will form the government in the coming elections as it is the only party that can change India,” Gandhi said while urging the party workers to spread the Congress’ message among the masses.

Holding the Modi government responsible for two of the biggest challenges facing the country -unemployment and agrarian distress, Gandhi said the Congress will ensure a minimum income for all the poor as soon as it comes to power.

“On the one hand you have Modi who waived loans worth Rs 3.5 lakh crore of a handful of industrialists, and on the other you have the Congress which will implement the minimum income guarantee scheme immediately after coming to power,” said Gandhi.

Explaining the scheme, he said the minimum income of the country will be calculated which will act as the standard and those below that level will be given the shortfall.

“Nobody in the country will be below the minimum income level,” Gandhi claimed.

“No country in the world has ever tried such a scheme, but we will implement it. In Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, we promised farm loan waiver and within two days of coming to power, we did that. Only the Congress can do it,” he asserted.

Gandhi said after the Congress forms the government, it will open the banks’ doors to the poor and marginal traders and revive the small and medium enterprises which have been devastated by demonetisation.

He also ridiculed Modi over the Doklam standoff with China. “Modi is basically a coward, the moment someone confronts him, he runs away. Doklam was actually China’s message saying Modi is weak and a coward.

“He addressed the parliament for over an hour but couldn’t muster the courage to look into my eyes and talk about Rafale,” Gandhi said.

Exhorting party workers to reach out to the voters with the Congress’ message, Gandhi asked them to ensure that the party wins all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi.