PM has not read the Constitution, hence it is blank for him: Rahul Gandhi

In their campaign for the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly polls, BJP leaders recently sought to link the “red book” carried by Gandhi to “urban Naxalism”.

Modi would have pursued different policies had he read the country’s foundational document, Gandhi said, adding that when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) forms the government in Maharashtra, it will carry out the caste census and remove 50 per cent cap on reservation.

“The caste census will help to ascertain the number of adivasis, Dalits and backward classes in Maharashtra and how much is their share in resources,” he said.

Slamming the Mahayuti government for sending the mega industrial projects such as Vedanta Foxconn and Tata Airbus from Maharashtra to the neighbouring states, the Congress leader said, “The BJP snatched away five lakh employment by sending several projects to Gujarat, because of which the state’s youths are unemployed. When our government comes to power, we will ensure that projects of Maharashtra will remain in Maharashtra and Gujarat’s projects in Gujarat.”

Adding that the Congress wants adivasis, Dalits and backward classes to get representation in decision-making, the leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said, “Adivasis are the first owners of the country and have the first right on jal (water), jungle (forest) and zameen (land). But the BJP wants adivasis to remain in the jungle without any rights. Birsa Munda fought for this and laid down his life.”

Highlighting the MVA manifesto, the Congress leader said women, farmers and youth will benefit from provisions such as Rs 3,000 monthly assistance, free bus travel, farm loan waiver up to Rs 3 lakh and Rs 4,000 per month assistance for unemployed youth.