Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Friday said that Congress will do a caste survey in Chhattisgarh if it comes to power in the state. The Congress-ruled state will go to polls later this year along with Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram. She said under BJP's reign in Chhattisgarh, the state was being ruled by violence. She said that innocent tribals were put into jail and that it was Congress's rule that ended the "net of violence". She said people are trusting CM Bhupesh Baghel's Chhattisgarh government because of the work he has been doing.
"I announce that if Congress repeats government in Chhattisgarh, then like Bihar, we will also hold caste census in the state," she said.
"In MP, I was told that Panchayat's power is being reduced and their funds have been reduced as well," she said, adding that in Chhattisgarh, development is taking place in every region.
Hitting out at PM Narendra Modi, she said that the government is not ready to start the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) but has bought "two aircraft worth Rs 8,000 crore for himself, made new Parliament worth Rs 20,000 crore".
"Chhattisgarh government resumed the old pension scheme for state employees," she said.
She recalled the time when her grandmother and former PM Indira Gandhi visited the state. She said that not only her family members, but leaders of the Congress party came to the state to connect with the people.
"Only with time, trust is developed....Today, if you have trust in the Congress government in Chhattisgarh, it is because the current government here is taking forward an old tradition of the Congress. My family has an old association with Chhattisgarh. Pt Nehru visited here during the freedom struggle. My grandmother Indira Ji visited Bastar in 1972. My father and mother also visited Bastar many times to understand the problems faced by the people of Chhattisgarh and find consultations. This is how trust was built in Congress party in Chhattisgarh..." she said.