Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, termed the electoral battle between the Congress-led INDIA bloc and the BJP-led NDA as a fight to save constitutional values while accusing the BJP of trying to usurp resources of tribals for capitalists in poll-bound Jharkhand.

The Congress leader on Friday addressed back-to-back rallies for party candidates in Simdega and Lohardaga, which would go to polls on November 13.

Rahul, holding a copy of the Constitution in one hand, said: “This is a battle of two ideologies while the Congress is trying to protect the Constitution. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his corporate friends Adani-Ambani want the provision of the Constitution to be abolished.”

Rahul also attacked the BJP for calling tribals as “vanvasis”.

“We call you Adivasis, BJP calls you vanvasis (forest dwellers). The word vanvasi is not in the Constitution. Adivasis are the first owners of the natural resources of the country. They should have the first right on jal (water), jungle (forest) and jamin (land).
The BJP wants Adivasis to remain as vanvasis and their children should not become doctors and engineers,” he said.

“They have coined a word development in the garb of which lands of tribals are snatched for setting for capitalists. We want that land should be taken only with your permission and if a factory is set up on your land, then your children should get jobs there,” said Rahul.

He repeated his statements given earlier this year during the Lok Sabha polls that the Congress wants to end the cap on 50 per cent reservation for the SC/ST, OBCs and minorities.

On caste census — another issue he has been raising regularly — Rahul mentioned the exercise was a “must” to identify the participation of tribals, Dalits, and the OBCs in various institutions and share in the wealth of the country.

“We want 90 per cent of the people of the country to run the nation while the
BJP wants only two-three people — Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Ambani and Adani — to run the country and the entire country’s wealth, whether it is your land or forest, everything would be snatched from you and given away to these 10-15 big billionaires,” Rahul claimed.

Attacking the Prime Minister, Rahul said Modi waived off the loans of ₹16 lakh crore of 25 rich people but accused the Congress of “spoiling” the habits of farmers when it waived off their loans, calling it the “double standard” of the BJP.

Rahul also read out the joint manifesto of the JMM-Congress-RJD-CPI-ML coalition for Jharkhand during the rally promising LPG cylinders at ₹450, 7kg ration for the
poor, domicile policy based on 1932 Khatian (land survey), implementing Sarna religion code for tribals, monthly assistance of ₹2,500 for women, 10 lakh jobs, health insurance up to ₹15 lakh, degree colleges in all blocks, increasing MSP of paddy to ₹3,200; MSP of other agricultural products to be increased by 50 per cent.