Will scrap Agniveer scheme, amend GST, implement Sarna religious code for tribals: Rahul Gandhi
Gumla/Chaibasa (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the Agniveer scheme will be abolished if INDIA bloc is voted to power, alleging that it was initiated by PM Narendra Modi and not by the Army. He also promised to amend the GST and bring out a separate Sarna religious code for tribals. Rahul Gandhi was addressing an election rally in Ghumla on Tuesday.
"INDIA bloc will scrap the Agniveer scheme, a scheme brought by Modi and not by the Army. We do not want to differentiate between martyrs. Anyone sacrificing for the nation should be attributed martyr status, should be given pension," he said at an election rally in Jharkhand's Gumla. "The BJP government implemented wrong GST schemes with five tax slabs. We will amend it and make one tax slab which will be minimum. We will reduce the tax burden on the poor," he said.
The former Congress chief attacked the BJP-led Centre for "betraying" tribals and alleged that Modi insulted President Droupadi Murmu. "PM insulted President Murmu, a tribal, by not inviting her to the new Parliament building inauguration and Ram Temple consecration in Ayodhya," he said. He also alleged that the saffron party is hell-bent to hand over PSUs, railways and land to industrialists.
"I am your 'sipahi' stationed in Delhi to protect your rights on Jal, Jungle, Jameen. Tribals have the first right on resources and governance, but the BJP government wants to wipe out your existence and rights in the name of 'vanvasi'. It is attacking the Constitution and reservation and they want to demolish these while INDIA bloc is committed to save the Constitution," he said.
Rahul Gandhi said, "BJP wants to trample your identity, culture, and history while it is only committed to Adani, Ambani," and alleged that "Narendra Modi government handed over 24 years of MGNREGA money to industrialists by waiving Rs 16 lakh-crore of 22 industrialists."
He accused the BJP of indulging in spreading hatred whereas INDIA bloc was committed to creating harmony. “They (BJP) spread hate… We will open a stall of love in the market of hate”, he stated. He appealed to people to vote for INDIA bloc candidates - Sukhdeo Bhagat from Lohardaga and Kalicharan Munda from Khunti.
Earlier, addressing a poll rally at Chaibasa, the Congress leader accused Modi of wanting to hand over the state's 'Jal, Jungle, Jameen' to industrialists. "The PM wants to hand over the 'Jal, Jungle, Jameen' of the tribals to 14-15 industrialists...Narendra Modi works for Adani, Ambani ...he made 22 billionaires in his 10-year tenure... We will provide Rs 1 lakh annually to poor women if voted to power," he added.
"The BJP wants to confine tribals to roles like domestic help. They never want you to become doctors, engineers and lawyers. They want to hand over jungles to industrialists... The country is being run by 90 IAS officers and out of them, there is only one tribal who has been sidelined in Delhi. The tribal population is around 8 percent in the country," he said.
Gandhi promised to make crores of people 'lakhpati' and provide one-year apprenticeships to unemployed diploma holders and graduates if voted to power. "If voted to power, we will give apprenticeship opportunities to unemployed graduates and diploma holders and pay Rs 8,000 per month," he added. Additionally, he pledged to provide Rs 8,500 per month to women.
Asserting that this Lok Sabha election is for saving the Constitution and the rights of tribals, poor and backward, he said INDIA bloc leaders were ready to sacrifice their lives to save the Constitution. He attacked the press for its alleged partisan role and claimed that the majority of the media houses are run by industrialists.
He also promised to scrap the contractual job system in PSUs and said reservation would be increased to above 50 percent. "The Congress government will assure MSP (minimum support price) for all products by farmers; MNREGA daily allowance will be raised from Rs 250 to Rs 400 and remuneration of ASHA and anganwadi workers will be doubled," he said.
Talking about jailed former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Gandhi said the BJP has put the tribal CM behind the bars but "Hemant Soren chootega (he will be released)" to which the crowd responded with slogans like "Jail ka tala tutega, Hemant Soren chootega (jail locks will be broken, Hemant Soren will be released).
Addressing the rally, Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana Soren asked the gathering whether it was right to put her husband behind the bars before the election. She said that the INDIA bloc would give a befitting reply to Soren’s imprisonment with 'vote ki chot (strike with vote)' on May 13, the date Singhbhum Lok Sabha seat goes to poll.
Leaders including Gandhi appealed people to vote for INDIA bloc candidate Joba Manjhi of JMM, who is contesting against BJP's Geeta Kora.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
