Kiren Rijiju Criticizes Congress Ahead of Maharashtra Elections
In Mumbai, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), expressed skepticism about the Congress party’s promises for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. During a press conference, Rijiju stated, “No one will ever believe the announcements made by Congress for the Maharashtra assembly elections.”
Criticism of Rahul Gandhi
Rijiju also criticized Rahul Gandhi, the Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition, for organizing the “Samvidhan Sammelan” in Nagpur. He argued that Congress has no right to discuss the Constitution after previously disrespecting it. Rijiju said, “I object to Rahul Gandhi holding the ‘Samvidhan Sammelan’ in Nagpur when he doesn’t respect the Constitution… Congress has no right to talk about Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar and the Constitution after disrespecting them.”
Comments on Article 370
Rijiju further criticized Congress for wanting to reinstate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, which he claimed previously prevented reservation facilities. He praised Prime Minister Modi for revoking Article 370, which enabled reservations for the SC/ST community in J&K. Rijiju emphasized that Congress should not mislead the public and stated, “In this Maharashtra election, Congress and its allies should be taught a lesson.”
MVA’s Promises
Meanwhile, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) announced five key pledges at a joint rally. These include the Mahalakshmi Yojana for women, offering Rs 3,000 per month to one woman per family, and free bus travel for women. The MVA also promised to write off farmers’ agricultural loans up to Rs 3 lakh, with an additional Rs 50,000 incentive for timely loan repayments. Other pledges include conducting a caste census, removing the 50 percent cap on reservations, providing health insurance worth Rs 25 lakh for all families, and offering Rs 4,000 monthly assistance to unemployed youth.
Upcoming Elections
The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with vote counting for all 288 constituencies set for November 23.
Doubts Revealed
Kiren Rijiju -: Kiren Rijiju is a politician in India who is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He is a Union Minister, which means he is part of the central government of India.
Congress -: Congress, or the Indian National Congress, is one of the major political parties in India. It has been one of the oldest parties in the country and has played a significant role in India’s history.
Maharashtra Assembly elections -: These are elections held in the state of Maharashtra to choose representatives for the state’s legislative assembly. The assembly makes important decisions for the state.
Rahul Gandhi -: Rahul Gandhi is a prominent leader of the Congress party. He is part of the Nehru-Gandhi family, which has been influential in Indian politics.
Samvidhan Sammelan -: Samvidhan Sammelan refers to a meeting or conference about the Constitution of India. ‘Samvidhan’ means Constitution in Hindi.
Article 370 -: Article 370 was a part of the Indian Constitution that gave special status to the region of Jammu and Kashmir. It was revoked by the Indian government in 2019.
MVA -: MVA stands for Maha Vikas Aghadi, which is an alliance of political parties in Maharashtra, including Congress, formed to contest elections together.
Loan write-offs -: Loan write-offs mean that the money borrowed by farmers from banks is forgiven, so they don’t have to pay it back. This is often done to help farmers in financial distress.
