Will not make false promises, Congress will work for people: Rahul Gandhi in Sikar

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday told people in Sikar he “will not make false promises”, as he intensified his attack on the central and state governments run by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Addressing a public meeting on the second day of his state tour ahead of the December 7 assembly elections, Gandhi said he would ensure a “Congress chief minister” was working “throughout the day” if his party was to come to power after the polls.

Results will be declared on December 11.

“I will not make any false promises of two crore jobs or ₹15 lakh in your bank accounts,” he said, taking an apparent dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign promises before the Lok Sabha election in 2014. “But I assure you that the farmers, the youth, the women and everyone else will feel that the Congress chief minister is working throughout the day. Our CM will work 18 hours a day to ensure the youth are employed,” he said.

To ensure jobs for the unemployed, the Congress chief promised to set up a food processing plant in each of the 33 districts in the state.

“If the Congress party forms government in Rajasthan, a food processing plant will be set up in each district and youth will get jobs there. The farmers will be able to sell their produce (to the processing units) directly.”

Gandhi hit out at chief minister Vasundhara Raje for “shutting down 25,000 schools”. “We will open best government schools, colleges and universities,” and also “relaunch” former chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s scheme of providing free medicine to the economically weaker sections at private hospitals.

He then launched a scathing attack on Modi over the controversial Rafale jet deal and lauded the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), whichhe said has been “protecting the country” for the past 70 years.

“Modi, who talks about patriotism and sacrifice goes to France” for the jet deal, he said, and is accompanied by Anil Ambani “who did not make a single plane in his life and has a debt of ₹45,000 crore”. “Ambani set up a firm 10 days before the contract was signed. The PM bought planes priced at ₹526 crore for ₹1,600 crore,” he alleged.

He also said that the country’s “chowkidar” removed the CBI director “late night when the country was sleeping” because he had called for an inquiry into the Rafale deal.

State Congress president Sachin Pilot said the BJP “misled people and came in power”. “Despite receiving huge mandate, they cheated the people. In Sikar, when the youth raised their voice at public meetings, they were arrested.”

BJP spokesperson Mukesh Pareek said, “Rahul Gandhi’s speeches seem to be devoid of information. Not only are there more free medicines, poor people can also avail free treatment up to ₹3 lakh at private hospitals. Farmers loan has been waived up to ₹50,000, which was never done by the Congress.”

He said schools were merged under rationalisation as many did not have students. The enrolment has increased at government schools and students get milk for midday meal, he said.