Rahul Gandhi calls for ‘aggressive’ approach to solving Punjab’s drug menace
Ludhiana, May 29 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Calling for an ‘aggressive’ approach to solving the drug problem in Punjab, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the 2024 Lok Sabha polls “are for saving the Constitution and the BJP wants to scrap it”. Addressing an election meeting in favour of the party’s Ludhiana candidate Amarinder Singh Raja Warring in Mullanpur Dakha, near here he said, “If (the Congress) voted to power, INDIA bloc would waive farmers’ debt and give legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price.” Paying tributes to the slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala whose framed image was placed on the dais on his second death anniversary, Rahul Gandhi favoured an ‘aggressive’ approach to solving the drug menace in the state. He was accompanied by Moosewala’s father Balkaur Singh Sidhu. Moosewala, a Congress leader, was gunned down on May 29, 2022. The Congress MP said there was an economic idea behind providing cash assistance to the poor and the youth, as it would jumpstart the economy. Rahul Gandhi said immediately after the INDIA bloc government takes over, poor families will be identified and each family will receive Rs 8,500 every month. Similarly, for fresh graduates and diploma holders there will be a scheme, under which they will get a guaranteed apprenticeship for one year with an assured income of Rs 1 lakh for that period. Rahul Gandhi added the minimum daily wages would be increased to Rs 400 per day from the current Rs 250 per day and also announced that the Asha and Anganwadi workers’ income would be doubled. Holding a copy of the Constitution and hitting out at the BJP, the former Congress chief said that for the first time, any party in the country and their leaders have said that they will change and scrap the Constitution “if they win the elections”. Promising to bring a farmer-friendly crop insurance scheme, he said the current scheme benefits only 16 insurance companies. Criticising the Agnipath scheme he said, “If the INDIA bloc comes to power, it will scrap Agnipath scheme and throw it into the dustbin.” Explaining the idea behind the direct cash assistance scheme, Rahul Gandhi said while PM Modi gave lakhs of crores of rupees to a few billionaires who spent all this money in places like the US, UK, Germany or Dubai, the money that will go into the hands of the poor, the youth and the farmers will be spent locally, which will get the economy moving. Punjab will go to the polls on all 13 parliamentary seats on June 1. —
