Accusing the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP Government in MP of being insensitive towards tribals and forest-dwellers, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi said instead of giving tendu leaf bonus to tribals, it is washing its hands off its responsibility by giving them shoes, chappals, and umbrellas.

Without naming the CM Chouhan, the Congress leader referred to the ‘Charan Paduka’ scheme, in which the state government provides shoes, umbrellas, sarees, water bottles, and slippers to tendu leaf collectors, forest-produce gatherers, forest dwellers, and tribals.

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Chouhan launched the ‘Charan Paduka’ scheme in July this year.

“Instead of paying you a tendu leaf bonus, they are giving you shoes, umbrellas, and slippers. Is this your respect,” Priyanka Gandhi asked while addressing a large public rally in the tribal-dominated Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh, where assembly elections are scheduled to be held on 17 November.

She alleged that even the shoe pairs being provided to the tribal population are of different sizes, and raised suspicion that the commission was involved in this process too.

She asserted that the tribals must get due respect for their hard work and toil.

Reiterating the Congress party’s stand on the caste census, the Congress general secretary advocated the census to ensure the delivery of justice to the OBCs and tribals.

Taking the promise of financial help, targeting women, a step ahead, Priyanka Gandhi assured that if the Congress forms the government in Madhya Pradesh the monthly financial assistance will be extended to school students too.

“The Congress government will provide not only free education to students from Class I to Class XII, but will also pay Rs 500 per month to students from Class I to Class VIII, Rs 1000 a month to those in Class IX and X, and Rs 1,500 to students of Class XI and Class XII each month,” Priyanka Gandhi assured.

She reassured the Rs 1,500 monthly payment to women.

“The MP BJP Government is involved in more than 250 scams in 225 months of its rule,” Priyanka Gandhi alleged citing scams in Vyapam, mid-day meals, school uniforms, scholarships, and other irregularities.

She said during its 18 years of rule in the state, the BJP has done nothing for the people and it remembers them only during elections by announcing a slew of schemes for them.

Attacking the BJP-led Central government for its opposition to the caste-based census, Priyanka Gandhi averred, “The BJP Central government does not want to talk about it (caste census). We are demanding justice for the OBCs and the tribals. Injustice is being meted out to the OBCs and the tribals. They are not getting jobs according to their number. We want their count, to deliver justice to them.”

Priyanka Gandhi said the Congress would fulfil a host of promises after coming to power in MP.

She also listed some of the promises made by the Congress, including the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), a gas cylinder for Rs 500, a monthly dole of Rs 1,500 to women, a loan waiver scheme for farmers, free 100 units of power per connection and 200 units at half price, free electricity to farmers for running up to 5 HP motors for agriculture, and a caste census.

Invoking former prime minister and her grandmother Indira Gandhi, the Congress leader said she somewhat resembles her grandmother and, therefore, she has to be more responsible towards the people, especially the tribal population.

This was Priyanka Gandhi’s fourth visit to MP. She had kicked off the Congress party’s campaign for MP on 12 June in Jabalpur, bordering Mandla.