Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has asserted that the party will replicate the Telangana model of people’s government (guarantee schemes) with all-inclusive welfare and all-around development approach to empower the poor and marginalised sections including Adivasis across the country after coming to power at the Centre.
The Congress party is steadfast in its commitment to raise the 50% cap on reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs, he said while addressing an election meeting in Nirmal town of the poll-bound ST-reserved Adilabad Lok Sabha constituency in Telangana on Sunday afternoon.
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Launching a scathing attack on the ruling BJP at the Centre, he said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is against reservations. The BJP wants to snatch away the reservations. The BJP government at the Centre embarked on privatisation of public sector units to deprive the weaker sections of reservations and deny them job opportunities,” he charged.
He alleged that Agnipath programme and the contract system of employment were introduced by the BJP dispensation at the Centre with intent to remove reservations. Mr. Modi did not respond to the demand for removal of 50% cap on reservations so far, Mr Rahul said.
Youngsters vie with each other for a handshake with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at a public meeting in Nirmal Town on Sunday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Our top priority is to conduct a nationwide caste census to ensure social justice to weaker sections and empower them, Mr Rahul asserted, deploring the underrepresentation of weaker sections including SCs and STs in top posts of administration in the country and also in big organisations.
Taking the Modi-led BJP government to task over the unemployment issue, he said the persons at the helm at the Centre were busy serving their billionaire friends leaving unemployed youth and other sections of society in the lurch in the last 10 years.
The Congress party is committed to recruiting 30 lakh vacant government posts and implementing an apprenticeship programme with ₹1 lakh stipend for the youth, he said while elaborating the promises made to youth, women, farmers and other sections in the Congress manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Affirming that the Congress party will strive to safeguard the Jal, Jungle, and Zameen rights of Adivasis, he called upon people to elect Athram Suguna the Congress candidate from the Adilabad Lok Sabha seat to amplify the voices of Adivasis in the Parliament and serve their cause.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Minister for Panchayat Raj Seethakka and others spoke.
