RAIPUR: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday criticized the BJP for allegedly weakening the welfare schemes and regulations, launched during his party's regime at the Centre, intended for the poor, farmers, and labourers.
Participating in the ‘Krishak Sah Shramik Sammelan’ (farmers-cum-labourers convention) at Balodabazar district, about 90 km from Raipur, the leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha slammed the BJP for making laws aimed for the rich.
“Only Congress thinks about the poor. BJP destroys the poor and encourages the rich. Those fighting for the poor create history but who work against them get eliminated. Today 5 percent of the population has control over 62 percent of the country’s assets and 50 percent of the people possess barely 3 percent assets. Such a wide disparity created during the BJP’s rule”, Kharge alleged.
He dubbed the present women’s reservation bill as another ‘jumla’ (hollow promise) of Modi-led BJP government accusing it of misleading the people to seek votes, as the quota bill won’t be implemented till 2034.
“If the Modi government really has a sincere desire to support the quota for women, the bill should have been put into effect now”, said Kharge and exhorted the people to teach the BJP a lesson in the 2024 elections and vote for the Congress to remove the present regime.
The Congress president expressed apprehension that the Modi government is attempting to destroy (replace) the Indian Constitution and sought the people’s support to safeguard democracy.
Appealing to the tribals, Dalits, poor, and backward classes to stand firm in their support to Congress, Kharge said, “If you lose this battle (2024 polls), the Constitution and democracy will not survive in the country. To safeguard both, you have to be on the side of the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi”.
Kharge and CM Bhupesh Baghel inaugurated 264 development works worth Rs 266 crore in the district. ‘CM Construction Workers Pension Assistance Scheme’ was launched to entitle workers/labourers Rs 1500 as a monthly pension after completing 60 years of age. The third installment of Rs 1895 crore was released for 24.52 lakh farmers under Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana.
He demanded from the Centre a census for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and a quota for them within the women’s reservation bill.
Kharge took the occasion to eulogize the contribution of Guru Ghasidas, the spiritual guru of the Satnami community, who are numerically the strongest Scheduled Caste (SC) group in the state accounting for nearly one-fifth of the population.
“Congress has given many firsts to empower women in various positions—Sarojini Naidu first woman Congress president, first woman Lok Sabha member Minimata from the region (Chhattisgarh), first PM Indira Gandhi, first president Pratibha Patil, first woman LS speaker Meira Kumar and so on. The BJP just copies what the Congress has accomplished”, he claimed.
Before his public address., Kharge urged the gathering to observe a two-minute silence in honour of M S Swaminathan, eminent agricultural scientist, who died on Thursday.