Guru Harsahai (Ferozepur), January 12
Tens of thousands of people attended a mammoth rally organized by the Congress as part of the ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’, here today. The party leaders lambasted the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the centre and the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab for being the enemy of the poor, the downtrodden, the Dalits and the marginalized sections of the society.
A galaxy of Congress leaders including former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and general secretary in charge of Punjab Bhupesh Baghel, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and others attended the rally.
Addressing the rally, Baghel said that the winds of change have already started blowing in Punjab. Referring to the mammoth crowd that had gathered at the rally, he said, people of Punjab have already spoken out their mind and intention one year ahead of the elections.
The former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister alleged that the BJP government at the centre had a deep aversion towards the Dalits and the poor as it only wanted to help a select few industrialists and capitalists. Warring asserted that the Congress will not let the MGNREGA be scrapped at any cost. He said, like the three farm laws were withdrawn following massive and prolonged protests by farmers, the same way the Congress will force the Modi government to restore the MGNREGA as it ensured the livelihood of crores of poor people in India. He warned that scrapping the MGNREGA will lead to chaos and anarchy in the country. He said, while the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer. “When they will not have anything to eat they can resort to any desperate acts”, he warned against overlooking the needs and concerns of the poor in the country.
Feeling overwhelmed with the mammoth presence of people at the rally, Warring congratulated Raminder Awla, the main organizer of today’s rally. “This is a referendum against both the central as well as the state governments as both have failed the country and the state miserably”, he noted, while adding, the agitation against the scrapping of the MGNREGA will further be intensified.
Speaking on the occasion, former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said that by scrapping the pro-poor and pro-Dalit law like MGNREGA, the BJP has further reaffirmed its hostility and animosity towards these marginalized sections of the society. While the BJP is the greatest enemy of the Dalits and the downtrodden, only the Congress has always looked and safeguarded their welfare and interest.
