Launching its “Ghar Ghar Guarantee” initiative in the National Capital, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on April 3 asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about “Modi Ki guarantee” but it is “unsuccessful” and does not reach people.
Under the “Ghar Ghar Guarantee” campaign, the Congress plans to reach out to eight crore households across the country with its promise of Paanch Nyay Pachees Guarantee [Five pillars of justice and 25 guarantees].
While Mr. Kharge distributed pamphlets on in Usmanpur in the North East Delhi parliamentary constituency, senior leader Rahul Gandhi - who filed his nomination from Wayanad – posted a picture of him handing over the party’s “guarantee card” on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to a woman.
Mr. Gandhi said his party’s “Paanch Nyay and 25 Guarantees” are a promise to provide every Indian with a better future, equal opportunities, and a fair share in India’s growth.
General secretary (communication) Jairam Ramesh said the “Ghar Ghar Guarantee” campaign is being launched from Usmanpur, the same place from where the Congress used the “hand” symbol for the first time in 1978 and now the campaign’s tagline is also Haath Badlega Halaat [Hand will change the conditions].
The North East Delhi seat is one of the seven seats that the Congress will be contesting in alliance with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with Congress contesting on three seats and the AAP on four.
“Our Paanch big guarantees are - Pehli Naukri Pakki: Every educated youth will have their first job guaranteed with ₹1 lakh salary; Mahalakshmi: One woman in every poor family will be given ₹1 lakh every year; Sahi Daam and Karz Mukti: Loan waiver and legal status to MSP, according to the Swaminathan Commission’s formula; Shram Ka Samman: ₹400 per day, National Minimum Wage, including for MGNREGA; Ginti Karo: Every individual and every community to be counted through a nationwide census to ensure social and economic equity... We will ensure the benefits of the nation’s progress are not cornered by a few, but rather reach every household,” Mr. Gandhi said on X.
Hitting out at Mr. Modi during the release of the “guarantee card” in the North East Delhi constituency, Mr. Kharge said the the Prime Minister had promised two crore jobs but those never reached people; the partry also didn’t fulfil its promise of doubling farmers’ income and providing a legal guarantee for a minimum support price (MSP) on crops.
“We give a guarantee that our government has always worked for people and will always do so. The Prime Minister talks about Modi ki guarantee, but his guarantee is unsuccessful and does not reach people. We want to tell the country that whatever we promise, we fulfil,” the Congress chief said.
He also recalled how Congress governments in the past gave guarantees and programmes like the MGNREGA rural job guarantee scheme, Right to Information, Right to Food, and Right to Education.
Talking about the tax demands made on the Congress by income tax (I-T) authorities, Mr. Kharge said, ”This government wants to scare the Opposition parties. It froze our accounts. The Supreme Court has intervened in the matter.... The I-T Department took ₹135 crore from our funds”.
“Can an election be held fairly in a democracy in such a situation? Shouldn’t there be a level-playing field? We want to tell those people that the public wants democracy and the Constitution protected,” he added. He also claimed that the BJP or the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had no role in the country’s freedom movement.
Walking through narrow lanes of the North East Delhi amid curious onlookers and enthusiastic crowds, Mr. Kharge spoke about the guarantee card which features concerns of youth, women, workers, farmers and “hissedaris” (stakeholders the country). “The guarantee card was based on the issues outlined by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra around the country. We want to take this initiative to eight crore households across the country,” he said.
The Congress’s election pitch is centred around “Paanch Nyay” or five pillars of justice -- “Yuva Nyay”, “Naari Nyay”, “Kisaan Nyay”, “Shramik Nyay” and “Hissedari Nyay” (justice for youth, women, farmers and workers, and to fair share) -- as well as the guarantees it has given to people under these heads.
The Opposition party will release its Lok Sabha election manifesto here on April 5 and its top leaders will be addressing two mega rallies -- in Jaipur and Hyderabad – on the next day.
