Interacting with people at Dondaicha village in Dhule district of Maharashtra during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Rahul said people are demanding that the upcoming Lok Sabha polls be held using ballot papers and not EVMs.
“People are saying ‘EVM hatao’, but ECI is not listening. An Election Commissioner resigned recently… just days ahead of the poll schedule announcement. Something must be definitely wrong,” former Congress president said.
During his interaction, Gandhi also assured that if his party comes to power, it would carry out a caste census.
“Economic and financial survey will be the next step and I will do it. Dalits, poor people from the general category, minorities and tribals will know where they stand. Unemployment, inflation and ‘bhagidari’ (share) are crucial issues that the country is facing,” he said.
Gandhi claimed that media, the Election Commission, bureaucracy, private hospitals, educational institutions have no representation from the poor from general category, Dalits, tribals or minorities. He also said that Rs 16 lakh crore of rich people have been waived by the Modi government.
Referring to the Centre’s Agnipath scheme for short-term induction of soldiers in the armed forces, he said Agniveers will not get martyr’s status or pension. “The Centre wants to divert the pension amount and the money spent on training soldiers to defence business of private companies,” he alleged. Gandhi’s yatra entered Maharashtra on Tuesday in its last leg. It will culminate in Mumbai on March 17.