Telangana model of welfare to be implemented nationally, says Rahul Gandhi

NARSAPUR: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that the Congress government in Telangana had successfully implemented various welfare schemes for different sections of society.*

Addressing an election meeting at Narsapur, Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress government, headed by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, had begun implementing all the guarantees given to the people during the Assembly elections. These guarantees included free travel for women on RTC buses, gas cylinders for Rs 500, free electricity up to 200 units for poor families, and a housing scheme. He noted that the Congress government was committed to fulfilling all the promises it made to the people. He also announced that the government would waive crop loans of up to Rs 2 lakh by August 15.

Rahul Gandhi mentioned that the Telangana model would be replicated at the national level after the INDIA coalition came to power on June 4.

He accused the BJP government at the Centre, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, of transferring the nation's assets to a select few corporates. He stated that if the INDIA coalition came to power, it would distribute resources among the poor through various schemes, focusing on empowering marginalised groups identified through a caste survey.

Rahul Gandhi emphasised the importance of the Indian Constitution, which he said protects the rights of the poor, farmers, adivasis, tribals, and other backward classes. He noted that leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar had collaborated to draft a Constitution that empowered the underprivileged and gave a voice to the common man. He warned that BJP leaders had openly expressed their intent to amend the Constitution if they won the election, posing a threat to the foundational principles of the country.

He pointed out that the ongoing Lok Sabha election was a battle between two ideologies: the INDIA coalition, which seeks to uphold the Constitution, and the BJP-led NDA, which, he claimed, wanted to change it to serve the interests of a select few corporates. He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of conspiring to privatise public sector institutions to undermine reservations and channel benefits to 25 elite corporates. According to Rahul Gandhi, the Modi government had systematically privatised airports, ports, and other public sector organisations, often transferring control to Gautam Adani.

Rahul Gandhi highlighted the imbalance in resource distribution, noting that 90 per cent of the country's wealth was controlled by just 2 per cent of the population. To address this issue, he announced that a future INDIA coalition government would conduct a caste census to identify and empower Dalits, Adivasis, and backward communities, who comprise 90 per cent of the population but are underrepresented in power. He claimed that the caste census would foster political consciousness and lead to a fairer distribution of wealth.

He promised that an INDIA coalition government would deposit Rs 1 lakh into the account of one woman from each family every year, with Rs 8,500 provided monthly. He also pledged to fill 30 lakh government vacancies by August 15 and raise the minimum wage to Rs 400 per day. He assured farmers that a Congress-led government would waive their loans, guarantee support prices for agricultural products, and increase minimum wages for farmworkers. He criticised the Modi government for neglecting the agricultural sector and outlined a significant shift in priorities if Congress won at the national level.

Rahul Gandhi reiterated his commitment to eradicating poverty in India and guaranteeing a job for every citizen, asserting that the INDIA coalition would be formed on June 4, marking the start of a new era of inclusive governance.