In a strong push for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took to the campaign trail on Thursday, accusing the BJP government of devastating the state by failing to create employment opportunities. Speaking at a rally in Assandh, Karnal, he highlighted the troubling trend of youth immigration, promising to conduct a caste census and address farmers’ grievances.
Joined on stage by senior party figures, including Sirsa MP and former Union Minister Kumari Selja, who had previously been absent from campaigning, and two-time Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda, Gandhi posed a pointed question: “Why are the youth of Haryana going to the US?”
Reflecting on his recent visit to the United States, Gandhi shared an eye-opening experience: “When I visited Dallas, I saw 15-20 people sleeping in one room. A youth told me that many of them took loans or sold their land to pay around Rs 30-50 lakh to come to the US.” He continued, “When I suggested they could use the same amount to start a business in Haryana, they said it was not possible to do so in the state.” Gandhi recalled a poignant moment during his visit to Karnal, where he witnessed a child crying on a video call, pleading for his father to return from the US. “The Haryana government has finished the state and its youth,” he lamented.
Gandhi expressed confidence in the Congress party’s chances, stating, “Our government will be for everyone,” and underscoring the importance of a caste census, which he claims will ensure that nearly 90% of the population receives their “rightful due.” He added, “If this much of the population does not get its due, the Constitution cannot be preserved or protected,” highlighting the marginalization of the majority and their lack of representation in the corporate sector. Gandhi emphasized that the caste census would form a crucial part of Congress’s policy framework.
Ahead of the rally, the BJP criticized Gandhi for supporting a Congress candidate, Shamsher Singh Gogi, alleging that Gogi had previously declared his intention to “fill his coffers” if Congress came to power. The BJP’s statement on X read, “Rahul Gandhi is starting his rally in Haryana for a candidate who has openly declared that he will loot Haryana. He will first fill his own coffers and then those of his people.”
Haryana’s elections are scheduled for October 5, with ballot counting set for October 8.