The chief minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, attacked the prime minister on Saturday for speaking to the media about the Manipur incidents for “a few moments” before the monsoon session of Parliament.
“The Prime Minister refers to Manipur as “his government” rather than “our state.” Just see what he may have said if the local administration had been controlled by the Congress, Gehlot pointed out.
A day after his government passed the historic minimum guaranteed income bill, 2023, in the state assembly in the face of opposition party criticism, he was speaking at a press conference.
While discussing the advantages of the income guarantee law, CM Gehlot also argued for the country’s need for strict social security laws. He encouraged Narendra Modi, the prime minister, to examine the various social security systems in the West and pass legislation that is equivalent in India.
“You (PM Modi) talk about leading the world, but manage your own home first. What are you doing to help those who are malnourished and hungry? Those who describe this (act) as a freebie are actually giving out free things in their own states, Gehlot countered.
The chief minister recalled how PM Modi had praised MGNREGA, the federal employment guarantee programme that was introduced by the UPA administration. “Imagine having to explain the provision (of the act) to the same Prime Minister multiple times.”
The goal of the 2023 Rajasthan Minimum Guaranteed Income Bill is to guarantee a pension or pay to every adult in the state. Regardless of whether they live in an urban or rural setting, every family in the state will get a minimum of $1,000 a month in the case of disabled, elderly, single women, etc. Additionally, it contains a clause that increases the pension by 15% annually.