Rahul urges people to wage 'ideological battle' against BJP

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday urged people to wage an "ideological battle" against what he called was "politics of division and hatred" unleashed by the BJP.

Addressing a public rally at the Khumpui Academy Grounds near Agartala in Tripura, Gandhi said that unlike the BJP, the Congress follows the policy of love, unity and solidarity.

"There are two things going on in the country simultaneously. On one hand, there is politics of division and hatred of the BJP and on the other, there is the policy of love, unity and solidarity of the Congress.

"I call upon all party supporters and people to wage this ideological battle against the BJP and help form a Congress government at the Centre by voting for the party in the Lok Sabha elections," he said.

Identifying unemployment as a major issue in the country, the Congress chief said 30,000 people were losing jobs on an average everyday.

"One crore people lost jobs in 2018 alone. In Tripura, there are 7.5 lakh unemployed youths. Nothing is being done for them," he alleged.

Gandhi reiterated his promise of introducing a minimum income guarantee scheme for every poor person in India if the Congress is voted to power in the general elections.

He described the now-lapsed Citizenship Amendment Bill as an onslaught on the land, language, culture and history of the people living in the north east. "If the Congress forms government at the Centre, we would scrap the bill forever," Gandhi asserted.

The Congress president also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of abetting fugitives like Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.

"All the thieves of India have turned their black money into white by depositing them into banks during demonetisation. They did this with the help of Narendra Modi," Gandhi alleged.

He said there was massive corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal, and claimed the prime minister and industrialist Anil Ambani would land in jail if the issue is investigated.

Gandhi also exuded confidence that the Congress would return in power in Tripura "very soon".

He added that if the Congress forms the next government, it would reinstate special category status for the northeast, make Tripura more connected with the rest of the country and ensure direct funding from the Centre for the the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomus Distrit Council.