Oust govt, recognise ‘fake nationalists’: Priyanka Gandhi to youths

Congress attacked BJP over its leader Kailash Vijayvargiya’s statement that he would prefer to hire Agniveer’s as security guards at the BJP office. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “The youth enter the Army to protect the nation and not to guard the BJP office as chowkidaars.”

While emphasising on the need for peaceful protests, the Congress attacked the government for imposing such a scheme and not addressing the problem of unemployment in India. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra urged the youth to recognise “fake nationalists” and ensure that a new government is formed in the country which shows “real patriotism”. She said Agnipath scheme would be destructive for the youth and the Army. Several top Congress leaders, including All India Congress Committee general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, party’s leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Harish Rawat, Communications department head Jairam Ramesh, Salman Khurshid, Sachin Pilot, Deepender Hooda and Ajay Maken, participated in the Satyagraha held at Jantar Mantar.

Congress leaders and supporters criticised the BJP-led Central government and said the Agnipath scheme is not beneficial for the country’s youth and will also jeopardise national security. “There is no bigger patriot than you. I want to tell you, open your eyes and recognise the fake nationalists and fake patriots. The entire country and the Congress are with you in your struggle,” Priyanka Gandhi said in her remarks aimed at the youths protesting the Agnipath scheme. In her address, the Congress general secretary also recited a few lines from Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s Hindi poem Agnipath to urge the youth to persevere and keep struggling peacefully.

The Congress is expected to intensify its agitation on Monday against Agnipath and the alleged misuse of central investigative agencies by the Centre against Opposition leaders. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will appear before ED on Monday in a money laundering case linked to National Herald. QA delegation of Congress leaders will also meet President Ram Nath Kovind to raise the issue of “politics of vendetta” with him.