BJP will roll back Congress's welfare schemes if voted to power: Rahul Gandhi

JAIPUR: On campaign trail in Rajasthan, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi once again played the 'pro-Adani' vs 'pro-poor' card Thursday, as he said people must decide what kind of government they wanted - one that worked for corporates or one that worked for the farmers, labourers and youth.
Rahul, who addressed back-to-back rallies at Taranagar in Churu district, Nohar in Hanumangarh district and Sadulshahar in Sriganganagar district, interacted with the media in Jaipur before leaving for his first campaign stop.Flanked by chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his bete noire Sachin Pilot, he said: "We are not only seen together but also united. We will be together, and Congress will sweep the elections."
Addressing his first public meeting of the day at Taranagar, Rahul claimed BJP would discontinue the welfare schemes being run by the Congress government in Rajasthan if it assumed office, and would instead serve the interests of big businesses.
Modi's guarantee means a guarantee for Adani: Rahul
However, if Congress was voted back to power, farmers and small traders would benefit, he said.
"It is for you to decide. Do you want Adani's government or do you want the government of farmers, labourers, youth?" he asked the gathering.
Congress transferred money into the pockets of the poor and the farmers, whereas BJP put it in the pockets of Adani, he claimed. Rahul ridiculed the poll guarantees announced by PM Narendra Modi, saying "Modi's guarantee means a guarantee for Adani".
At Nohar and Sadulshahar, Rahul said Congress would start the work for caste census in Rajasthan and at the Centre the day it formed the government, promising rights and benefits to the OBCs proportionate to their population.
"I raised the question of caste census and asked the PM, 'you call yourself OBC, tell me how many OBCs are there in this country?'. Modiji's reply came, 'there is only one caste in the country, the poor'. If there is no caste in the country, then why does Modi call himself OBC," asked the Congress leader in Sadulshahar.
Explaining the reason for why a caste-based census is required, Rahul said that no one knows exactly the population of backward people in the country.
Youths were disheartened under the Modi government as unemployment had touched a record high, he claimed.
"Every youth wants to work for the country, but the policies of the Narendra Modi government have destroyed the energy of the youths in the country," Rahul said.