Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday flayed the BJP-led Haryana government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the increasing number of youths in Haryana leaving the State and illegally migrating abroad in search of opportunities. .

Addressing his first political rally ahead of the Haryana assembly polls in Assandh, the leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said Congress would return to power in the State after a decade of BJP’s rule. “The Congress is going to sweep the Haryana elections. A storm is coming and we will form the government for all,” he told a gathering.

At the campaign rally, Gandhi attacked the BJP focussing on issues including unemployment, caste census and the sectarian politics of the BJP.

Rahul’s rally also saw leaders of the warring factions of Congress Kumari Selja Bhupinder Singh Hooda sharing the stage in a show of unity. This coming a day after Narendra Modi cautioning the voters against voting for the Congress citing the infighting in the party.

Slams BJP

Gandhi said the BJP has “destroyed” the agrarian State.. Rahul referred to his recent visit to the US where he said he met some youths from Haryana who went there in search of a better future as they were unable to get employment opportunities in their State. He said the youths were staying in a room in Dallas, Texas, under very tough conditions.

Rahul said the youths narrated to him their ordeal of travelling through countries like Kazakhstan and Turkey, and the jungles of Panama to sneak into the US. He said the youths were looted and faced extortion during their journey and some of them even lost their lives.

One of the youths, Rahul said, told him that they had to spend at least ₹35 lakh to reach the US. Rahul said that when he asked the youths why didn’t they spend that amount to start some business in Haryana instead of migrating abroad, the youth replied it was not feasible to start any business with that money. Gandhi accused the BJP government of “killing” small businesses with a “wrong” GST regime.

Before addressing this rally, Gandhi met the family members of Amit Mann in Karnal district on September 20 after his return from the US. He had interacted with Mann, injured in a truck accident, during his US trip.

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