Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections 2023: Rahul Gandhi promises free education from KG to PG

Chhattisgarh assembly polls 2023: The second phase for the remaining 70 out of the total 90 seats will take place on November 17.

Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi on November 8 said that Chhattisgarh will be the first state in India to provide free education from KG to PG (kindergarten to post-graduation) if his party retains power in the state.

“Governments are supposed to work for the welfare of people, not to favour industrialists. The BJP has been privatising schools, colleges, and hospitals, making basic facilities unaffordable for people. We will ensure free education soon after we get another term in Chhattisgarh,” said Gandhi.

While addressing a rally in Ambikapur and making a slew of promises, Gandhi announced that farmers of the state will receive a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 3,200 per quintal for rice.

In Chhattisgarh, a significant majority of the population is closely tied to farming, whether directly or indirectly. As per a 2021 NABARD study, 55 percent of the state’s households have a direct connection with agriculture.

“We will start with Rs 3,200 and it will keep increasing. Farmers will not have to remind the government. Tribals in Chhattisgarh will be provided a minimum support price of Rs 6,000 per sack of tendu leaves and an annual bonus of Rs 4,000,” said the former Congress president.

He claimed that his party's leadership had promised the implementation of the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana, and since its launch in 2020, Rs 23,000 crore has been disbursed to the beneficiaries.

After forming the government, Congress will implement the decision to provide 200 units of free electricity to people, benefiting 40 lakh families in the state, Gandhi promised.

Taking a swipe at the BJP, he pointed out that the saffron party has been reluctant to refer to tribals as “vanvasi” rather than “adivasi.”

“We believe in the term Adivasi as it secures their rights to land, water, and the forest. Vanvasi implies people living in jungles and exploiting their resources. With jungles disappearing, the BJP must answer where these people will go,” Gandhi questioned.

He also recalled the incident in Madhya Pradesh where a man identified as Pravesh Shukla was seen smoking a cigarette while urinating on a tribal man sitting on the ground.

“The BJP leader deliberately shared the video of urinating on that tribal man. It appears that the party doesn’t want tribals to succeed and is intent on crushing their dreams,” Gandhi remarked.

He further criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a flip-flop in his statement. Initially, Modi claimed to be from the OBC community, but now he says there is only one caste in India, which is poverty.

The change in Modi’s stance has come after the Congress party raised the issue of conducting a caste census in the country, he added.

“If poverty is the only caste in India, why was the Prime Minister calling himself a leader from the OBC community? He has been wearing clothes worth crores of rupees, but when the OBC youth need his support, he changes his stance,” said the Congress leader.