Lok Sabha elections 2024: Akhilesh, Rahul address first joint rally in UP, promise to scrap Agniveer scheme

Amroha (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 20 : Marking the first joint election rally of the INDIA bloc for the Lok Sabha polls, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shared the stage in Uttar Pradesh's Amroha on Saturday, where they launched a blistering attack at the ruling BJP over a range of issues including electoral bonds, farmers' issues and unemployment.
The two leaders also promised to scrap the Agniveer scheme and conduct a caste census in the state if the INDIA bloc formed government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha polls.
As announced by the Centre, the 'Agnipath' or 'Agniveer' scheme is a process for recruiting soldiers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force for a term of four years on contract.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav while taking a jibe at the BJP, said that the 'winds of change emerging from western UP will sweep across the nation, ushering in a transformation that will not only reshape Uttar Pradesh but will also sweep the BJP out of power."
Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's previous remarks where he attacked Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav and said that a film starring two princes has been rejected, the SP chief said, "Yesterday's first-day first-show of the BJP turned out to be a flop show. Their film of lies failed."
Doubling down on the opposition's charge that the BJP was seeking a two-thirds majority in Lok Sabha elections to change the Constitution, Yadav said that the elections of 2024 will decide the future of the people and coming generations.
"Those who gave 'Jumlas' are now giving guarantees. These are not their guarantees but 'Ghanti'. We don't want their guarantee. We want the guarantee of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar's Constitution. The guarantee of the Constitution will give us rights and respect. The election of 2024 is for our future as well as the coming generation's future," Yadav said.
Yadav also claimed that the BJP had 'lost' the support of its "traditional voters".
"Even its traditional supporters are openly opposing the BJP," he said, apparently referring to the protests by the Rajput community against the BJP in parts of western UP.
Rahul, in his, address accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of helping a few industrialists and neglecting the poor and deprived sections of the society.
"The sons of the country's billionaires do apprenticeship before entering the job market and then they go for permanent jobs. But the unemployed youth of the country never get this facility. That is why we have brought a new scheme- 'First job confirmed'. In this, we are going to give the right of apprenticeship to all the graduates and diploma holders of India. Your training will be for one year in government offices, private companies and public sector and you will get Rs 1 lakh," Rahul said.
He also promised to scrap the Agniveer scheme, increase the MNREGA wages, double the honorarium for the Anganwadi workers and form a Commission to study and implement schemes for the farmers.
"There are 30 lakh vacant posts in the government sector. We will give these posts to the youth after the elections. Today, 22 persons have the same money as the 70 crore population of the nation... PM Narendra Modi has given all the money of the banks to them (22 people). Where does all of this money come from? This is your money that comes from GST. These billionaires sell Chinese products in India. Small-scale businessmen and artisans who can make 'Make in India' a reality, PM Modi brings demonetisation and GST for them," he added.
He accused the BJP of facilitating the concentration of wealth in the hands of a privileged few, at the expense of the impoverished masses.
"The INDIA bloc, if it forms the next government, would implement a Mahalaxmi Scheme in which one woman from every poor family would receive Rs 1 lakh annually through direct benefit transfer. We are fighting an ideological battle," he said.
In Amroha, the main electoral contest is between Kanwar Singh Tanwar of the BJP and Danish Ali of the Congress. BSP's Mujahid Husain is also in the poll fray. There are a total of 12 candidates contesting from Amroha.
Voting in the second phase will take place on April 26 and it will cover eight parliamentary constituencies of Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautambuddh Nagar, Bulandshahr (SC), Aligarh and Mathura.