Rahul Gandhi bats for woman CM in Kerala, crowd cheers
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday drew loud cheers from the crowd when he said he was looking forward to Kerala having a woman chief minister. Addressing a rally in Puthuppally in Kottayam, Rahul spoke about the guarantees announced by the Congress if it comes to power, including free KSRTC bus travel for women and a monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 for college-going girl students. He said the Congress wants women to be active participants in Kerala’s development.
“In fact, we are looking forward to the day when we have a woman chief minister of Kerala,” he said, drawing a loud response from the crowd.
He also remarked that men were not clapping enough for the statement. “We want women of Kerala to fulfil their dreams. Whatever they want to do, we want them to succeed,” he said. He said the Congress would ensure that women have the freedom to go wherever they want and pursue the jobs they choose. “For this purpose, our guarantees include free travel for women in KSRTC buses,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi alleged that under the proposed FCRA amendments, only the RSS would be able to receive foreign funds, while other organisations would be restricted. FCRA has emerged as a key issue in Kottayam district, which has a large Christian community. “Suddenly, we noticed that an FCRA bill has been brought in. The interesting thing is that there is only one organisation that can get money from abroad. No other organisation can get money from abroad except the RSS,” he alleged.
He further claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could access foreign finances through industrialist Gautam Adani, while the RSS would benefit through the proposed FCRA norms. “What is special about the RSS that there are separate rules for them? They spread hatred and divide people. That is how the BJP functions,” he said.
Gandhi also alleged that the Centre’s policies offer little benefit to the common people.
