Will reserve 33% govt jobs for women: Rahul
CHENNAI RALLY Accuses the Centre of ‘facilitating Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya in fleeing nation’
CHENNAI: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the United Progressive Alliance will reserve 33% government jobs for women and pass the Women’s Reservation Bill giving 33% of seats in Lok Sabha if it wins the general elections.
Interacting with students of Stella Maris College for Women here, Rahul also said that the UPA government would simplify the procedures in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and have a low single tax rate.
Rahul faced a range of questions from the students about the Congress-led UPA’S plans for economic growth, bringing peace in Jammu and Kashmir, on charges against his brother-in-law Robert Vadra, views about Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government and the reason for hugging Modi in Parliament.
To a question on the status of women in the country, he said the situation was better in south India than in north India. There was the cultural aspect, he said.
“There is still a lot needed to be done in Tamil Nadu,” he added.
The Congress leader said he had no hatred towards Modi.
“Love is the foundation of every religion whether it is Hinduism, Islam or Christianity. I was watching the Prime Minister’s speech in Parliament where he was criticising my father, grandmother, great grandfather and the Congress,” he said.
Rahul said he felt that Modi did not have the love he wanted. “I wanted to show affection and hugged him.”
On bringing peace back in Jammu and Kashmir, he said the first step was to build the bridge with the people there. It was built between 2004 and 2014 during the UPA government, he said. Paki- stan will carry out attacks, he said. “We have to engage with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
He criticised the government for facilitating businessmen like Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya and others to leave the country after defrauding the banks. “The money deposited in banks during demonetization was given to these businessmen,” he said.
On why he did not mention Robert Vadra with these businessmen, he said: “The government has the right to investigate.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday accused Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of corruption involving land deals, claiming the opposition party has come to define “family corruption” by “institutionalising” graft.
Citing a media report, Union minister Smriti Irani said Robert Vadra is “merely a mask” in the land deals and Rahul is the “real face”.
Dismissing the allegations, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, “Facing imminent defeat, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and his favourites are resorting to levelling completely baseless and fake allegations”.
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