LUCKNOW: In yet another move to win over women voters ahead of 2022 UP Assembly elections, Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday announced that if voted to power, her party would give smartphones to girls who pass Class 12 and electronic scooter to those who are graduates.
On Tuesday, Congress had announced it would give 40% tickets to women candidates in the upcoming assembly elections due early next year.
“I had met some girl students who said they need smartphones for studies and security. I am happy that with the consent of the manifesto committee, the UP Congress took a decision to give smartphones to the girls who pass intermediate and electronic scooter to graduates,” Priyanka tweeted.
Priyanka also shared a video clip of schoolgirls whom she had spoken to on Wednesday. One girl said that Priyanka asked them if they had phones to click selfies. “We told her that we don’t have phones and that they are not allowed in our colleges. She promised to announce that girls would get phones and we said that would help in our safety also,” said a girl.
“She told us to study hard. We want her to continue interacting with us,” said another student.
Later, UP Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu said successive governments made tall claims of providing a safe and conducive environment to women, but all of them fell flat.
Congress is not the first party to promise smartphones. On October 6, ruling BJP announced a smartphone distribution scheme. In an official statement, the state government had said it will give smartphones to students so that they can continue their studies from home.
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