Rahul assures central role for TN in competing with China

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday vowed to give a push to the manufacturing sector in Tamil Nadu if voted to power in the Lok Sabha polls, saying the state could play a central role in ‘competing’ with China in manufacturing and generating jobs.

Addressing his first public rally in Nagercoil to launch the UPA poll campaign, he also vowed to create a brand ‘Made in Tamil Nadu’ for products manufactured in the state “Today whenever you look at a cell phone or a shirt it says Made in China. When we have governments in Delhi and Tamil Nadu, behind cellphone, shirt and a pant, we have to write ‘Made in Tamil Nadu’,” he said.

Underscoring the need to give a tough competition to China, Gandhi said, “Tamil Nadu is a central part of the strategy for competing with China in manufacturing. We are going to put special provisions in the manifesto for young entrepreneurs who want to start a business.”

Earlier in the day, while interacting with women at Stella Maris College in Chennai, the Congress president also promised 33 per cent reservation of government jobs for women and reforms in the Goods and Services Tax(GST) if the party-led UPA wins the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. He also asserted that law must not be applied selectively and that if his brother-in-law Robert Vadra can be probed for any alleged irregularities so can Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his alleged role in the Rafale jet deal. Touching upon a range of subjects, he also listed unemployment and farmers distress as the key issues for the Lok Sabha polls. More on P2