JADCHERLA/MAHABUBNAGAR: Going a step further, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday announced that the Congress, upon coming to power, would return the GST amount being collected from the handloom sector, and compensate weavers.
"It is not difficult to compensate the weavers as they have been forced to pay 12 per cent GST," he said, at a public meeting at Jadchela crossroads on the 53rd day of his Bharat Jodo Yatra. He had set off from Manyamkonda in the morning.
Rahul Gandhi said the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had adversely affected the people. He said the BJP and the TRS were “business houses” and alleged that Modi and Rao were working together. The Congress leader pointed out that India has both the biggest population of the poor and also the largest number of rich persons in the world. Unemployment had reached 35 per cent and children of farmers, workers and petty traders were unable to pursue higher education as the BJP and TRS governments were not bothered about education, he said.
He gave the example of a youth who met him during the padayatra, who, Rahul Gandhi said. was unable to pursue his dream of doing his mechanical engineering.
Along the way, Rahul Gandhi danced the ‘Kommu Koya’ in Mahbubnagar along with Adivasi women who were in their traditional green saris and wore flowers. The Congress leader wore a headgear designed by Adivasi Koyas.
Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, MLA Dr Seethakka also took part in the dance. A few leaders and film star Punam Kaur met Rahul Gandhi.
The Bilkis Bano case, where the rapists of a woman had been released from jail and women’s safety came up during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Parvati Sahu of Chhattisgarh, who has been with the yatra from the start at Kanyakumari, said, "As we were walking, I explained to Rahul ji how unsafe women were now. The rapists and murderers are moving free, without being punished.”
She saw in the padayatra a platform to seek justice for women. She said there was no reply to her concerns from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Priya Gerwal from Haryana said, “We women want to support this walk. It will bring out the real picture of India, where atrocities on women are on the rise each day.”
