Rahul Gandhi assures Northeastern states he’ll scrap Citizenship Amendment Bill
Guwahati: Congress president Rahul Gandhi who on Wednesday addressed three elections rallies, one in Nagaland and two in Assam, said that Congress wouldn’t allow the Citizenship Amendment Bill if voted to power. Asserting that Congress would restore the special status to Northeastern states, Mr Gandhi reiterated that his government would also bring a new industrial policy to make the region a manufacturing hub.
Targeting the BJP, Mr Gandhi said, “We do what we say, we don’t lie... they always lie. We are committed to paying minimum wages in tea estates. We will fulfil it. This is a fight of ideologies. The RSS, BJP break the country but the Congress unites the nation. RSS and Nagpur a-re attacking Assam, its history, thinking and culture.”
He said the party would change the GST and give a simpler tax on coming to power. “The Modi government has given Rs 3-0,000 crore to one person. The country’s youth want to start small businesses. But you need permissions and to give bribes to start businesses in Modi’s Indi-a. But we have promised that no permission will be needed for the first three years if you want to start a small business.”
Talking about the flagship programmes of the party, the NYAY scheme, he said, “Modi ji made people unemployed in five years. We want to create a new line. Twenty per cent of people earn less than Rs 12,000 per month. The moment our government is formed, we will make a list of all these people and the government will put Rs 72,000 every year in the bank accounts of these people. The money will go into women’s accounts. We will give Rs 3,60,000 in five years in the accounts of 20 per cent of India’s poorest. This is our guarantee.”
He added, “Funds for the scheme will come from pockets of ‘chor’ businessmen favoured by ‘chowkidar’ Narendra Modi.”
Mr Gandhi who continued his rhetoric against Mr Modi in all rallies said, “The chowkidar is always speaking lies. I decided to put the truth in front of the people. I asked the Congress think tank to tell me how much money could the Congress government put into people’s accounts? We worked for six months, spoke to world’s top economists, and planned. We came to the conclusion of Rs 72, 000 every year in everyone’s account.”
Nagaland’s lone Lok Sabha seat is going to polls on April 11 in the first phase.
The Congress party has fielded veteran K.L. Chishi for the seat, while state’s ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party-led alliance has fielded Tokheho Yepthomi.
Mr Gandhi addressed the second rally at Bokakhat in Assam’s Golaghat district where Gaurav Gogoi is in the fray. Mr Gandhi’s third rally was at Lakhimpur where he asked the people to vote for Congress candidate Anil Borgohain.
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