In Congress rule, farmers won't face jail for loan default: Rahul Gandhi

Rewa: Congress president Rahul Gandhi Friday said no farmer will be jailed for not repaying loans if his party comes to power at the Centre.

He also said under the Congress rule, the country's youth will not have to obtain any permission for the initial three years to run a business. "When Congress government comes to power in 2019, no farmer will be sent to jail for not repaying bank loans, he said at an election rally here.

Gandhi said if his party was voted to power at the Centre, 22 lakh youth will be given government jobs in a year and 10 lakh others will be recruited in panchayats. "There will be no need for the youth to take any permission to run a business for the first three years," he said.

On the Nyuntam Aay Yojana (Nyay) scheme, which the party plans to introduce if voted to power, Gandhi told the male members in the gathering, "Don't get angry. The Nyay money is going to be deposited in the bank accounts of women. Rs 72,000 a year and Rs 3.60 lakh in five years.

Gandhi said the scheme will energise the country's economy, which he said suffered a setback due to demonetisation as people were left with no money. "When people have money in their (bank) accounts they will spend it in the market to buy necessary things and that will revive the economy," he said.

Slamming the Modi government for demonetisation, he said the move rendered lakhs of youth jobless as factories stopped production. The Congress chief continued to target Modi with his 'chowkidar' jibe, saying that the Election Commission asked him not to use the term but the slogan has become unstoppable. "Whenever you say chowkidar, people add 'chor hai, chor hai'," he said.

Madhya Pradesh has a total of 29 Lok Sabha seats. While six of them went to the polls in the first phase on April 29, the remaining 23 constituencies will vote on May 6, 12 and 19. Election for the Rewa seat will be held on May 6, in the second phase of polling in the state.