Press under threat: Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi said today the press was facing threats under the current government, and asserted his party would protect it on coming to power.

He said, if voted to power, the Congress government will set up a web of food parks and make efforts for imparting IIT-like quality higher education across the country.

No matter how much you want to write bad about us, the hand of the Congress will protect you. This hand (Congress' symbol) will protect you when the RSS will beat, oppress, hack you. It is a battle of two ideologies. And our ideology is going to win in the elections, Gandhi told the Congress's plenary meet here.

Speaking about the Congress' plans ahead of the 2019 general elections, he said his party's government will also extend those with skill sets bank loans and technology.

The Congress will weave a network of food parks. In each district, farmers will be able to sell their produces directly to food processing factories," he said.

Recalling that the Congress-led UPA government had waived around Rs 70,000 crore of farm loans, Gandhi said the party's new government will take a similar step, if need be, to protect farmers.

Noting that good education is not the prerogative of the elite, Gandhi said the Congress after coming to power will take steps to provide IIT and IIM-like higher education across the country.