Chandigarh, September 22
The Sirsa MP, Former Union Minister, General Secretary of All India Congress Committee and CWC Member Kumari Selja said India is a country that has followed the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Dr BR Ambedkar. People belonging to different castes and religions have traditionally lived together, but the BJP’s divisive policies are affecting social harmony and peace in the country, she said.
Selja was addressing the Nagpur Block Congress conference held at Shagun Palace in Nagpur in the Ratia Assembly constituency on Tuesday. She said the BJP government was attempting to divert public attention from issues of development, employment and welfare by dividing society in the name of caste and religion. She said Congress had always pursued politics of development and brotherhood by taking all communities together, while alleging that the BJP’s politics was based on division and hatred.
Referring to the reported incident of purification of a stage after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s public meeting in Haldwani, Selja said such incidents were against the Constitution and the principle of social equality. She alleged that people associated with the BJP and RSS were promoting a mindset of discrimination and said Congress would continue to oppose such thinking.
Selja said Rahul Gandhi was fighting a nationwide battle to protect the Constitution, democracy and the rights of ordinary citizens. Congress workers, she said, must become his strength and take this struggle to every village and household. She described booth- and village-level workers as the real strength of the organisation. She said there had been enough of “jumla” politics and alleged that instead of increasing employment opportunities, the BJP government had weakened the employment system. Referring to the provision of five kg of ration to 80 crore people, she said poor people needed not just ration but dignified employment and opportunities to become self-reliant. She also alleged that oil provided under the ration system had been stopped and the Ayushman Bharat scheme weakened.
Selja claimed that 27 crore people were brought out of poverty during the Congress government’s tenure and employment was provided in villages through schemes such as MGNREGA. She alleged that the present government had weakened MGNREGA as well. She urged party workers to work towards changing the present government and strengthening Congress welfare-oriented policies.