Apart from what all Congress has promised to the people of Karnataka in the run-up to the 2023 Assembly Elections, Congress disqualified MP Rahul Gandhi has, in his personal capacity, promised to establish a jeans park in Ballari and make the city the jeans capital of India.
Addressing a street-corner meeting in Ballari on Friday evening, Mr. Gandhi said that he wanted to see Made In Ballari and Made In Karnataka tags on all jeans worn worldwide.
“I visited some jeans manufacturing units in Ballari during the Bharat Jodo Yatra that passed through the city. I saw the plight of women working in those units. I want to promise you that we will make Ballari the jeans capital of India. It is not the promise of a government but that of mine. We will establish a jeans manufacturing park. I want to see the day when we see Made In Ballari and Made In Karnataka tags on all jeans worn by youths worldwide. I would ask the Chief Minister of Karnataka and get this work done. It is my promise,” Mr. Gandhi said.
Later, he added that the Congress if it were to form a government in the State will provide ₹5,000 crore to establish an apparel park and a jeans park in Ballari.
Terming Ballari the centre of BJP government’s corruption, Mr. Gandhi said that Ballari lost the most considering the amount of loot that the BJP carried out there.
“Ballari was the Centre of BJP’s corruption. The amount of loot that the BJP carried out in Ballari has, perhaps, not been done anywhere. You are at the receiving end. You lost the most. I want to bring change in Ballari, not just in politics but also in your lives… I usually don’t make personal promises. But, if I make one, I will ensure that it is fulfilled. [Prime Minister] Narendra Modi makes false promises wherever he goes. He had promised that he would put ₹15 lahk into your account and end the black money menace. We don’t make false promises. I have promised that Ballari would be made the jeans capital of India and you will see that Ballari will be a jeans capital in five years,” he said.
Mr. Gandhi recalled how the BJP rejected the demand for Article 371(J) that gave special status to the Kalyana Karnataka region and how the Congress fulfilled it soon after coming to power at the Centre.
“You had asked for Article 371(J) and the BJP said no to it. [L.K.] Advani and [A.B.] Vajpayee said that it was impossible. But, we had promised it and we fulfilled it as soon as we came to power. It is because of Article 371(J) that lakhs of students from the region got medical and engineering seats and over 25,000 youths got jobs. The BJP is not implementing Article 371(J) properly. The BJP government gave ₹3,000 crore to [Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board] and it spent only ₹1,200 crore of it. There are 50,000 vacancies in the region. After coming to power, we will fill all vacancies,” Mr. Gandhi said.
Earlier, Mr. Gandhi participated in a grand roadshow with Na. Ra. Bharath Reddy and B. Nagendra, Congress candidates for Ballari City and Ballari Rural segments, respectively, and other senior leaders. Thousands of activists took part in the rally that covered the major streets of the city.
