Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is addressing a public meeting in Gujarat’s Narmada district to mark the beginning of his campaign ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
The meeting is being held in Dediapada village, which has sizeable population of tribals. Assembly elections in the State will happen by the end of this year or early next year. Out of 182 seats in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, 27 seats are reserved for the scheduled tribes.
Here are the updates from our Correspondent Mahesh Langa:
4.20 p.m.: Rahul Gandhi concludes his speech.
4.15 p.m.: " Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to create 2 crore jobs a year. Last year, only one lakh jobs were created.
"Modi govt.'s reality is different from their marketing and tall talks.
"Congress party does not make promises. It also does not do marketing, instead it works for the people when in power.
"Congress does not believe in talking, we are there to listen to the people, their issues and their problems, and will work to resolve them."
4.05 p.m.: "Today's Gujarat is being ruled by some 10-15 people and you know their names.
"Patidar youth told me that entire education sector is controlled by 10-15 people close to Narendra Modi. In Vibrant Gujarat, nobody excepts those people and they have not got any real benefits.
"These lands, water, forests belong to you people, the tribals of Gujarat, not them, who are ruling and dominating the State.
"The RSS and the BJP do not respect tribals. They want to enslave tribals as domestic maids in urban areas.
4.02 p.m.: Speaking about the Amul milk movement, Mr. Gandhi says,
“Gujarat's farmers and women started the Amul milk movement. Gujarat's progress is due to hard work of crores of women and farmers and ideology of the Congress party.
"People of Australia and New Zealand have told me that they cannot compete with Gujarat's Amul.
4.00 p.m.: Rahul Gandhi starts addressing the rally.
3.50 p.m.: We request the PM to stop talking about Congress Mukt Bharat and instead work to make the country Terrorism Mukt Bharat, says Ahmed Patel
3.45 p.m.: Successive governments of Congress party have ensured unity of India after independence: Gehlot
3.35 p.m.: Ashok Gehlot addresses the gathering.
3.33 p.m.: Rahul Gandhi to address the gathering shortly.
3.30 p.m.: Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Madhavsinh Solanki and Leader of Opposition Shankarsinh Vaghela slam the BJP government in the State and Centre for ignoring the plights of tribals.
3.25 p.m.: Ahmed Patel is addresses the gathering.
2.50 p.m.: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, national general secretary Ashok Gehlot and party leader Ahmed Patel are present in the stage.
2.30 p.m.: Congress vice-president visited the Dev Mogra Mataji Mandir enroute to Dediapada earlier on Monday.
2.00 p.m.: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel, who is supervising the preparations for the rally at Dediapada in Narmada district, said the event holds immense significance for his party.
“This rally is very important as it is being organised on May 1, which happens to be the foundation day of Gujarat as well as the International Labour Day. In addition, the rally is being organised in a tribal area,” Mr. Patel told reporters at Dediapada on Sunday.
