JAIPUR: Despite the intense debate over freebies in the country, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has announced that his government will give gas cylinders to the poor for just Rs 500 from April in the election year. A separate category will be created for them and those eligible will be able to get its benefits.
After a recent decision to give free smartphones to 1.35 crore women, CM Gehlot said that poor families in the state will get domestic cooking gas cylinders for Rs 500 from next year. Speaking at the Bharat Jodo Yatra rally, in Rajasthan’s Alwar district on Monday Gehlot said, “Now everyone gets gas cylinders for Rs 1,057 each, we are creating a separate category and under this, the cooking gas cylinder will be given for Rs 500 from April next year.”
Earlier, gas subsidy was given by the Central Government but it was discontinued. At this virtual election meeting of the Congress, keeping all speculation aside of a change in leadership in Rajasthan, Gehlot also claimed that he would be presenting the state budget next month that will include kitchen kits for housewives to give them relief from inflation.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the BJP’s hate politics at the rally and said his Bharat Jodo Yatra aims to promote compassion and social harmony in the country. He said instead of ‘Nafrat ka Bazaar’ (market of hate) that the BJP is trying to create in the country, he is interested in opening ‘Mohabbat ki Dukaan’ (a shop of love) to ensure greater social cohesion and communal harmony in the country which is the chief purpose of his Yatra.
Addressing the first public meeting of his Yatra in Rajasthan at Malakheda in Alwar, Rahul Gandhi said “I do not like the BJP people. When I go on the way, they point and ask what are you doing? I want to answer them that I am opening a shop of love in the market of hatred. Come, you also open a shop of love in the market. Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Bose, Sardar Patel, Ambedkar all had opened shops of love in the market of hatred.”
Rahul also used the meet to praise the social welfare schemes of the Gehlot government and claimed, “The best schemes for the poor are in Rajasthan.” He specially praised the Chiranjeevi Swasthya Yojana of health insurance of upto Rs 10 lakh by the Congress government in the state. Praising the opening of 1700 Mahatma Gandhi English medium schools, Rahul attacked the BJP and remarked, “from Amit Shah to all BJP leaders’ children go to English medium schools.
But in their speeches, they ask people not to learn English. They don’t want the poor to learn English. They don’t want you to dream big and get out of doing manual labour.” Rahul also said, “The Rajasthan government should quickly implement the rights given to our tribal brothers and sisters in the Tribal Bill.
Tribals are the original owners of India.”
Speaking in his first public meet in Rajasthan after becoming the national president of the Congress, Mallikarjun Kharge targeted PM Modi government’s poor handling of the China issue and alleged that the government is running away from any discussion in Parliament over this sensitive issue.” Kharge attacked the Modi government’s silence over China and asserted, “the government is running away from discussing the issue of China in Parliament.” Party chief Kharge further added, “an attempt is being made to destroy the constitution.”