If voted to power, INDIA alliance to be voice of farmers: Rahul Gandhi
Nashik (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the opposition INDIA alliance, if voted to power, will be the "voice of farmers" and frame policies to protect them.
He was addressing a farmers' rally at Chandwad in Maharashtra's Nashik district along with NCP (SP) head Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, as part of the Congress' ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'.
"The INDIA alliance government will be the voice of farmers and work to protect their interests," Gandhi said.
He promised loan waiver for farmers, restructuring of crop insurance scheme to benefit cultivators, to protect crop prices in formulation of export import policies and to make efforts to exclude agriculture from GST and work on only one tax.
The Lok Sabha member from Wayanad also reiterated the Congress' promise of a legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) as per the Swaminathan committee report.
The former Congress president claimed 20 to 25 people in the country have wealth equivalent to 70 crore of the country's population.
The Narendra Modi government waived off Rs 16 lakh crore debt of industrialists, he further claimed.
"This amount is equivalent to 24 years of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) under which Rs 35,000 crore is spent every year to give employment to the poor people," Gandhi said.
He said the previous Congress-led UPA government had waived off Rs 70,000 crore debt of farmers.
"If the loans of rich people can be written off, farmers also should get the benefit," he said.
Criticising the Agnipath scheme (under which soldiers are enrolled as Agniveers by the armed forces), Gandhi said the Agniveers are excluded from pension and martyrdom status and are given training for only six months.
"Like soldiers who protect our country's borders, farmers protect citizens within the country. If we don't safeguard our jawans and kisans, the country cannot progress," he said.
NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar accused the central government of being apathetic to the plight of farmers and the agriculture sector.
"Due to lack of a proper price for their produce, farmers are debt-ridden and committing suicide. The UPA government had waived off Rs 70,000 crore loan of farmers," he said.
"It is our collective responsibility to defeat the anti-farmer, anti-youth government which invites inflation," the former Union minister said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is with Rahul Gandhi in the struggle to fight for people's causes.
The MVA comprises the Congress, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar). It is part of the national-level opposition INDIA bloc.
#WATCH | Congress MP Rahul Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra in Maharashtra's Nashik
— ANI (@ANI) March 14, 2024
"The issues of farmers, inflation, unemployment, Agniveers are the most prominent in the country today, but on TV channels you will never see discussion on these issues. Instead, TV channels… pic.twitter.com/CXqjWnDUEm
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KKR defeat LSG via Super Over
Lucknow (PTI): Kolkata Knight Riders edged Lucknow Super Giants via Super Overs in a battle between two bottom-placed teams in the IPL, here on Sunday.
Chasing a modest 156, LSG suffered a batting collapse and managed to tie the contest and take it to Super Over with No. 9 Mohammed Shami striking a last-ball six against a wayward Kartik Tyagi, who leaked 16 runs in the final over.
But Sunil Narine bowled a stunning Super Over conceding just one run and taking two wickets to give KKR an easy target.
Rinku Singh then finished the chase with a boundary off first ball from Prince Yadav.
Earlier the KKR were in deep trouble with 93/7 in 15 overs but Rinku smashed a sensational 83 not out from 51 balls including four sixes in a row in the final over to lift them to 155/7.
Cameron Green (34) was the only other batter to reach double-digit scores as KKR suffered a familiar batting meltdown with Mohsin taking his maiden fifer.
In reply, LSG continued their dismal show with the bat to succumb to their fifth loss in a row.
Brief Scores:
Kolkata Knight Riders 155/7; 20 overs (Rinku Singh 83 not out, Cameron Green 34; Mohsin Khan 5/23). Lucknow Super Giants 155/8; 20 overs (Rishabh Pant 42). KKR won via Super Over.
