Seeking votes to create jobs, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that employment opportunities for the youth were “snatched” during the BJP rule in Haryana.

After holding the second leg of Vijay Sankalp Yatra from Bahadurgarh to Sonipat, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha slammed the BJP-led central government by saying the Agnipath scheme was brought to snatch Agniveers’ pension, canteen facility for their family members and their status of martyr. “Pensions are for all soldiers, except those with the Agniveer tag,” he said at a public meeting in Sonipat. Congress MP Rahul accused the BJP-led Centre of attacking the Constitution and working for a handful of billionaires in the country, overlooking the poor and the Dalits.

At the rally, Rahul again mentioned that during his visit to the United States, he saw 15-20 youths from Haryana living in a small room. He blamed the BJP for snatching employment opportunities and forced them to undertake a “Dunki” journey to foreign countries while illegally traveling from Haryana to Mumbai to Istanbul to Kazakhstan to South America to Panama and finally landing in America. “When I met people from Haryana in the US, they told me that during their journey from Haryana to the US, they have seen many people dying en route,” he said.

They talked about the unemployment back home forcing them to move to the US and face struggles in a foreign country, Gandhi said.   Rahul said Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier used to say that the price of a cooking gas cylinder has come down to Rs 400. “What is it now? Rs 1,200. When our government is formed, you will get it at Rs 500. You will save Rs 700 in your bank accounts. We will provide Rs 2,000 to women every month and will give MSP to farmers.”

He raised the drug menace issue in Haryana and said everyone knows drugs are spreading tentacles. When thousands of kilos of drugs were seized in Mundra port of Gujarat, government did not take any action, he claimed.

Holding a copy of the Constitution in his hand, Gandhi said whatever poor people of the country, the Dalits, farmers, and backward classes, it is because of this.  "For 24 hours, BJP attacks this (Constitution)," he alleged while flashing a copy of the Constitution before the gathering. "When RSS put their own people in the country's institutions and do not give any place to the Dalits, backwards, tribals, poor, they are attacking the Constitution. When Narendra Modi helps people like Adani and Ambani and destroys the employment system of the country, they are attacking the Constitution," he alleged.

Gandhi asked the gathering if they had ever seen the faces of farmers being shown in the media. "No. Are there only Modi and 'arabpati' in this country? Have you seen the marriage function of any poor person being shown in the media? Did you see the Ambani wedding? You know Ambani spent thousands of crore in the wedding, whose money is this? It is your money," he said.  A day will come when the government of India will be of the poor, labourers and farmers, he said.

Speaking about Haryana government's 'Parivar Pehchan Patra' (family ID) scheme, Gandhi said it is a 'parivar pareshan patra' scheme. He alleged that it was launched with an intention of giving a contract worth Rs 1,000-2,000 crore to a company. He promised to shut this scheme when his party is voted to power.

Referring to small political parties, he said they are the "B teams" of the BJP.  This fight is between the Congress and the BJP, he said. 

Takes out roadshow in Bahadurgarh

Rahul, accompanied by Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda, took out a roadshow in Bahadurgarh town and appealed to the people to vote for the Congress in the Assembly elections to oust the BJP from power. State Congress president Udai Bhan was also present on the occasion. A large number of people had gathered to participate in the roadshow of the Congress leader, who served the famous ‘pakodas’ of Bahadurgarh. It was Rahul’s second day in Haryana for the poll campaign. After Bahadurgarh, he went to Bamdoli village of the Bahadurgarh Assembly segment, where Congress candidate and outgoing MLA Rajendra Joon is locked in a multiple contest with Congress rebel Rajesh Joon and BJP nominee Dinesh Kaushik.