Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024 battle between violence and unity: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party BJPled Central Government and said demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax GST harmed the poor farmers and labourers in IndiaAccording to news agency PTI while speaking at a rally in Jamshedpur ahead of the Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024 Gandhi claimed that the BJPs economic policies were designed as weapons to kill the poor and alleged that demonetisation and GST had caused widespread unemploymentldquoThe policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi are responsible for unemployment spreading in India Demonetisation and GST are weapons to kill the poor farmers and labourersrdquo Gandhi saidThe Congress leader further accused the BJP and its ideological affiliate the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS of playing divisive politics based on caste religion and language ldquoThe BJP and RSS are trying to divide India while the Congress aims to protect the Constitution The BJPRSS is determined to destroy itrdquo he claimedAccording to PTI Gandhi also criticised Prime Minister Modi for funding capitalists who invest their wealth abroad However he did not provide further details on this claimExpressing confidence in Congressrsquos victory in the Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024 Gandhi assured supporters that the party would defeat Modi and focus on the welfare of the peopleTax structure designed to loot poor Rahul GandhiIn a brief moment during the rally Gandhi paused for two minutes after Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta informed him that the lsquoAzan call to prayer was in progressMeanwhile in another rally at Baghmara in Dhanbad Gandhi took aim at the Central Governmentrsquos tax structure accusing it of being designed to ldquoloot the poor PTI reportedldquoThe Indian tax structure is designed to loot the poor Industrialist Gautam Adani pays the same taxes as ordinary citizens The land in Dharavi Mumbai worth Rs 1 lakh crore is being handed over to himrdquo Gandhi allegedTaking a dig at Modi Gandhi mocked the Prime Ministerrsquos lavish lifestyle and said ldquoModi travels in seaplanes and goes into the sea while the poor and women bear the brunt of rising pricesrdquoHe also said that the Scheduled Tribes STs Scheduled Castes SCs and Other Backward Classes OBCs do not have enough representation in government institutions ldquoSTs SCs and OBCs make up 90 per cent of Indiarsquos population but they are not properly represented in government bodiesrdquo he saidThe Congress leader promised that if his party comes to power after the Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024 they would provide funds equivalent to the amount of debt that has been waived off for capitalists ldquoWe will give to the poor the equivalent of the money the capitalists got from Modirdquo he addedOn the issue of reservation Gandhi reaffirmed Congressrsquos commitment to a comprehensive overhaul of the reservation system If we are voted to power in Jharkhand we will ensure a caste census and remove the 50 per cent cap on reservations he promised He further vowed to increase reservations for various communities including raising the reservation for Scheduled Tribes STs to 28 per cent from the current 26 per cent for Scheduled Castes SCs to 12 per cent from 10 per cent and for Other Backward Classes OBCs to 27 per cent from 14 per centGandhi concluded by stressing the importance of conducting a caste census to accurately assess the participation of tribals Dalits and OBCs in Indias institutions and share of the nationrsquos wealth A caste census is essential to understand the participation of these communities in various sectors and to ensure their rightful share he saidWith PTI inputs