There were no startups in the country and those that did exist were under the control of foreign firms, claimed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is on a four-day visit to Gujarat as part of the Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra.
Gandhi slammed the Narendra Modi government’s ‘Startup India’ initiative and promised to earmark Rs 5,000 crore to fund the sector if the Congress came to power.
“Have you seen any startups? Are they anywhere to be seen? Not a single one exists. And those which exist are in the control of foreign firms. We will create a Rs 5000 crore fund so that sons of poor farmers and labourers can open their own startups,” he asserted. He also said 30 lakh government posts were vacant and the Congress would fill them when it comes to power. He said that, the Congress will launch an apprenticeship scheme, in which youth will be employed for one year after obtaining a degree or diploma.
Gandhi claimed the Centre had waived off loans to the tune of Rs 16 lakh crore of big corporates but was unwilling to provide the same relief to farmers, students and labourers.
Gandhi narrated his experience of meeting the Meiteis and Kukis in Manipur, where he began his Yatra in January. “When we were going to meet the Meiteis, we were told to ensure that no Kuki was part of my security cover or they would be killed. So, we ensured that Kuki tribe individuals were not taken to meet the Meiteis. When we went to meet the Kukis, they also put forth the same condition that we should not bring along any Meiteis or they would be killed… Why did we do this? It is because the government is not able to firmly say that Kukis and Meiteis can go anywhere and no one will be killed…,” he said.
Urging people to question “in whose hands the wealth of the country” was concentrated, he said that “22 families in India have the wealth that equals the bank deposits of 70 crore families”.
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