Will repeal Agniveer Yojana: Priyanka
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi campaigned today for Congress candidate Anand Sharma in the Kangra Lok Sabha constituency. She addressed public meetings in Chamba and Shahpur, urging support for all Congress candidates. Priyanka Gandhi praised Himachal Pradesh as Devbhoomi and Veerbhoomi, highlighting the honesty of its people. She accused Prime Minister Narender Modi of conspiring to overthrow the state’s honest government through financial manipulation, claiming that Modi and BJP leaders are solely focused on gaining power by any means. She criticized Modi for not visiting Himachal Pradesh during its time of disaster and for failing to provide any financial aid to the affected people, despite his claims of considering the state his home.
The Congress General Secretary criticized the Modi government’s policies over the last decade, accusing it of favoring billionaire friends at the expense of public welfare. She said that while the union government claims it lacks funds to provide old pensions to government employees, it has written off loans totaling Rs 16 lakh crore for industrialists and handed over national resources to them. She alleged that the Prime Minister has given control of apple cold storage facilities to his industrialist allies, leading to price manipulation and unfair compensation for apple growers. Furthermore, the reduction in import duty on apples significantly impacted local growers.
She said that the congress party never compromised public interests and blamed the Union Government’s policies for rising inflation and unemployment, citing the Agniveer Yojana as a prime example. She said that under Agniveer Yojana, youth are left jobless after four years, receive no pension, and lack financial support and status, if martyred. She said that Congress government would repeal the Agniveer scheme. She said that it was the Congress administration that implemented the One Rank One Pension Scheme.
Priyanka Gandhi said that after the formation of Congress government at the Centre, women will be given Rs 8500 per month and Rs 1 lakh in a year. 30 lakh vacant posts in the government sector will be filled and 50 percent reservation will be given to women. The honorarium of Anganwadi and Asha workers will be doubled and farmers will be given the right to a legal guarantee of minimum support price. Apart from this, compensation will be provided within 30 days in case of damage to the farmers’ crops and a commission will be formed for loan waiver of the farmers. GST on agriculture equipment’s will also be abolished. She said that after coming to power, the Congress government will provide free health insurance of Rs 25 lakh across the country on the lines of Rajasthan. MNREGA will also be implemented in urban areas and apprenticeship program will be implemented for graduate youth, under which they will be provided an allowance of Rs 8500 per month.
She said that while the BJP talks about a “double engine” government, the Congress would focus on “double service,” urging voters to elect Congress at the Centre. She also claimed that over the past 10 years, the BJP has become the richest party by collecting donations and use of government agencies like ED and CBI.
Priyanka commended the state government
Priyanka praised the state government, and said that the current congress government is working tirelessly and honestly to serve the people despite numerous challenges, and that all guarantees are being fulfilled. She said that with clear intentions, any government can achieve good results, and the Congress government has demonstrated this. The old pension scheme has been restored, and the Rs 1500 pension scheme has been implemented. During disasters, the state government reduced its resources to aid affected families. She said that service is a tradition of the Congress Party and urged the people of the Kangra Lok Sabha constituency to trust Congress candidate Anand Sharma and vote for him. She said that once the Congress forms the government at the Centre, all promises will be fulfilled.
