Himachal elections | Priyanka rakes up Agnipath to hit out at BJP in Kangra

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[google-translator]

Raking up the Agnipath scheme to hit out at the ruling party at “Veerbhumi” Kangra, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday said that the BJP government snatched away the life security of brave soldiers, who intend to protect the country, by a contractual system of recruitment to the army.

Addressing a “Parviartan Rally” at Nagrota Bagwan in Kangra, Gandhi said earlier under a fixed quota over 4,000 jawans from Himachal would join the armed forces annually, however, as per the new scheme, this number would be just 400-500 and also among them, 75% will be sent home after four years.

“This land here has given many martyrs to this country. Even today, the braveheart sons of this land are protecting the country on the border, but the BJP government, by implementing Agnipath, has snatched away their life security,” Priyanka said.

It was her first-ever rally in politically significant Kangra, the district to which Congress has turned its focus to win back the state.

She said that youth hope that they will protect the country and the country will protect them, but BJP says that after four years leave the army and become a clerk somewhere.

“Despite this, if I ask the mothers present here that would they send their sons to the army, they will say yes. I know you have that spirit because martyrs’ blood is flowing in your veins. I also belong to a family of martyrs and understand your passion and bravery,” said Gandhi striking an emotional chord with the audience as she remembers her grandmother Indira Gandhi and father Rajiv Gandhi.

Gandhi said if voted to power at the Centre, Congress will scrap the Agnipath scheme and also restore the old system of recruitment to the armed forces.

The Congress leader also urged people to analyse who has clear and good intentions to carry out development and who does not before casting the vote.

Cornering the Himachal government over corruption, Gandhi said under the BJP regime in the state there was a police constable recruitment scam, PPE kits and a scam in teachers’ recruitment.

Gandhi said the Congress has come out with some guarantees for the people of Himachal. “Congress has guaranteed that if voted to power, it will restore the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for employees and also create one lakh jobs,” she said.

“Congress promises that it will make every effort to five lakh jobs in five years,” Gandhi said, adding that the current chief minister (Jai Ram Thakur) here says that it is impossible because there is no money for it.

“For the BJP government, it is not possible to give pension to employees and soldiers and jobs to youth, but it can sell PSUs and wave off loans worth lakhs of crores of their corporate friends,” she alleged.

Hitting out at the BJP over the price rise, Gandhi said instead of reducing inflation, the government has imposed more taxes and GST on almost everything.

“Today, farmers were not getting a reasonable price for their produce. It is the BJP’s corporate friends who fix the prices of farmers’ produce,” she alleged.

Gandhi also accused the BJP government of pushing Himachal Pradesh into a financial mess. “Today, the state is under a huge debt burden of 70,000 crore,” she said while exhorting people to “flip the government”.


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