From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Kolar, Apr 16: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified as Lok Sabha member over his Modi surname jibe and was subjected to attacks from BJP leaders as being anti-OBCs, challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to scrap the 50% ceiling on the reservation fixed by the Supreme Court if he and BJP were "genuinely" interested in helping the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Dalits.
Addressing the Jai Bharat convention at Kolar, the venue where the Congress leader had made the controversial remark in 2019 elections as why all thieves had Modi surname starting with Prime Minister Modi, former IPL chief Lalit Modi and scam-tainted Nirav Modi, both of whom having fled the country, Rahul accused Modi and BJP of talking about OBCs to divert public attention.
Rahul said there were hardly 7% OBCs and Dalits as officers of Secretary level in the Modi regime. "Is this the real concern for OBCs and Dalits?’’ he asked and pointed out that it was the Congress-led UPA regime which had conducted a caste census in 2011 and Modi regime has refrained from conducting even the general and much less the caste census.
The Congress leader challenged the Modi regime to appoint top level officers from different communities in the government based on the 2011 caste census. "If this is not done, it will be cheating the OBCs and SC/STs,’’ he said.
Rahul Gandhi predicted that the ruling BJP will be defeated in the State assembly polls and Congress will come back to power. The Congress party government will implement its four guarantees of 200 units of free power to all domestic consumers under the Griha Jyothi scheme, Rs 2,000 each per month to housewives under the Griha Lakshmi scheme, monthly allowance of Rs 3,000 and Rs 1,500 for unemployed graduates and diploma holders under Yuva Nidhi and 10 kgs of rice to all BPL card holders under Annabhagya scheme without wasting time.
"All these four Congress guarantees must be approved at the first cabinet meeting of the Congress government and implemented forthwith,’’ he declared.
"If Modi regime can give thousands of crores of rupees to crony capitalists like Adanis,’’ Rahul Gandhi said: "The people of Karnataka and the Congress party must send a clear and loud message to the people of the country and the prime minister that Congress government can also implement pro-poor and pro-people programmes. We must work for the welfare of farmers, women and youth and not for crony capitalists,’’ he said.
Questions PM’s silence on 40% commission
The Congress leader asked the people to remember what the BJP government has done for them in the State other than swallowing 40% commission in all government work and contracts.
"These charges of 40% commission were not made by him but by the State Contractors Association President in complaints sent directly to Prime Minister and not by me. The Modi government has not given any reply to the complaint. His silence is an admission of the 40% commission charge. All the scams in recruitments by the government are before you and you must punish the corrupt,’’ he said.
Rahul Gandhi said his mike was switched off when he questioned the government about Adani and the Prime Minister’s relations with Adanis in parliament. "I had displayed pictures of Modi taking rest in Adani’s aircraft. Why are the airports handed over to Adanis and why the rules changed to facilitate the transfer even though Adanis had no experience in the field,’’ he said.
The Congress leader said the Mumbai airport was handed over to Adanis and those who had built the airport were subjected to IT and ED raids. In Australia, Prime Minister Modi and Adani were seated on the same dais along with SBI officials. Why and how the SBI sanctioned thousands of crores as loans to Adanis. Sri Lanka’s Port Authority Chief had publicly said Modi had recommended handing over the country’s ports to Adanis. Soon after Modi’s visit to Bangladesh, Adani secures contracts from that country. After Modi’s visit to Israel, Adani’s gets ports and defence contracts.
"In view of all these facts, I had demanded to know who lent Rs 20,000 crore from a fake shell company and I was not allowed to speak in parliament,’’ he said claiming that in the history of Indian parliament, the Modi government obstructed parliament’s functioning through its ministers and members.
He charged that "Adani is role model for Modi in corruption’’ and wanted to know how one individual and his companies get all infrastructure facilities and projects in the country. "In a defence shell company belonging to Adani, a Chinese national is a director. Nobody and none of the authorities are investigating into this scam,’’ he said and attacked the ruling BJP for diverting public attention by raising frivolous issues.
Give 150 seats to Congress
The Congress leader asked the people to give thumping majority to Congress by giving at least 150 seats as otherwise the BJP would topple the government by using the ill-gotten money from the 40% commission.
"I am happy that the Congress party is united in Karnataka and is fighting the elections unitedly under collective leadership,’’ he said.
AICC President Mallikarjuna Kharge, AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, KPCC Chief D K Shivakumar, senior Congress leaders Siddaramaiah, B K Hariprasad, M B Patil, Dr G Parameshwar, Eshwar Khandre, Saleem Ahmed, B Ramalinga Reddy, Satish Jarkiholi, K H Muniappa and others were present.