'Speak Up India' Drive: Sonia Gandhi urges centre to unlock coffers

On Thursday, Congress released a four-minute video of its President Sonia Gandhi as a part of the online campaign "Speak Up India", aiming to raise voices of the poor, migrants, small businesses and middle-class people before the Union Government. In the video, she urged the Central Government to unlock its coffers and help needy people who have got severely affected by COVID-19.

New Delhi: Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, on Thursday, launched a scathing attack on the Centre over the COVID-19 crisis, saying that the entire country has seen migrant labourers pain but the Government hasn't.

"It is for the first time since independence, that everyone is witnessing the pain of millions of labourers who were forced to walk back hundreds of kilometres barefoot, empty stomach, without any medicine or transport to reach their homes. Their pain, their plight, their sobs were heard by every heart of this country but perhaps not by the Government," said Sonia Gandhi.

Congress has released a four-minute video of its President as a part of the online campaign "Speak Up India", launched by the party, aiming to raise voices of the poor, migrants, small businesses and middle-class people before the Union Government.

Gandhi further added, "Millions of jobs were lost, millions of businesses were collapsed, factories got closed, farmers had to stumble at rate by rate to sell crops. The whole country has suffered, but perhaps the Government did not realize it."

Congress President alleged that the central government is continuously ignoring the suggestions given by party leaders, economists, sociologists and every pioneer of the society, asking the Government to come forward and heal the wounds of labourers and help farmers, small shopkeepers.

In the video, she urged the Central Government to unlock its coffers and help needy people who have got severely affected by COVID-19.

She said, "Provide an amount of Rs 7,500 per month as direct cash transfer to the accounts of each poor family for the next 6 months, starting from immediate payment of Rs 10,000 to them."

She further demanded, "Migrant labourers should be provided with a safe and free of cost journey to their homes. Ensure 200 days work under MGNREGA, which can get employment in the village itself. Instead of giving loans to micro and small industries, give financial help to them so that crores of jobs can be saved and the country can also grow."

She also appealed the people to be a part of this online campaign by sharing their demands with the Congress party, which will further be raised before the Central Government.

"In the period of this unprecedented crisis, we will definitely win as we all are together, fighting against it," she said.