India bloc govt will waive farm loans, scrap Agniveer scheme: Rahul Gandhi

Balasore: Alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned "jawans" into "mazdoor" through the Agniveer scheme, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the BJP insulted the people of Odisha after one of its leaders recently claimed that Lord Jagannath is a devotee of Modi.

Addressing an election rally at Simulia in Bhadrak Lok Sabha seat, he vowed to save the Constitution and democracy and announced that the INDIA bloc government would legalise MSP on foodgrains, waive farm loans and scrap the Agniveer scheme.

"We are going to scrap the Agniveer scheme. The PM has turned jawans into 'mazdoors'. We will turn jawans to soldiers again," Gandhi told reporters on the sidelines of the public meeting here.

He said all jawans will get pension, canteen facilities and the dignity of "shaheed" in case of their death.

Alleging that the BJD works in partnership with the BJP, Gandhi said he has been fighting against the saffron party for which the Centre has filed 24 defamation and criminal cases against him.

"The ED questioned me for 50 hours, BJP snatched my Lok Sabha membership and even took away my official residence. If Naveen Babu is actually fighting against the BJP, why there is no such case," Gandhi asked.

He also alleged that both the BJP and the BJD work for "arabpatis" and not for the poor people. "Here the government is run by Patnaik’s close aide VK Pandian and not by the chief minister. Odisha’s wealth is being looted by both the BJD and the BJP," he said.

"In Telangana, there was an alliance between the BRS and BJP. Congress fought against both parties and broke their backbone," Gandhi said, adding that today a people’s government is functioning in the southern state.

"Crores of rupees is being provided to poor people and women are travelling in buses for free. We are going to replicate it in Odisha. We want to oust the BJD-BJP partnership," he said.

He said the BJP government has waived Rs 16 lakh-crore of 'arbapatis' and the Congress will waive the loans of farmers.

"After INDIA bloc forms the government, it will introduce Mahalaxmi Yojana and other schemes for farmers, unemployed youths and others. We will have legal provisions of giving MSP on foodgrains to farmers," he said, adding that wages of MGNREGA workers will be enhanced to Rs 400 from Rs 250.

Gandhi said, "The BJP has insulted every individual of Odisha as one of its leaders claimed that Lord Jagannath is a devotee of PM Modi." The Congress leader was referring to BJP's Puri Lok Sabha candidate Sambit Patra who had recently made the remark.

Embroiled in a controversy over his "slip of the tongue" on Lord Jagannath, Patra later apologised and announced that he would undertake a penance by fasting for three days.