Firdaus Khan
Rishikesh (Uttarakhand). Addressing a huge rally in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, as part of the election campaign Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi took on the corrupt BJP Government in Uttarakhand. Rahul Gandhi questioned BJP for its double-speak on corruption by saying that BJP, which talks high about curbing corruption, killed the constitutional Lokpal Bill of the Congress-led UPA introduced in the Parliament.
“We brought the constitutional Lokpal Bill in the Parliament with an intention to curb corruption. But the BJP which talks loudly in public against corruption blocked its passage and actually killed the bill. They alleged that the Constitutional status to the Lokpal, like the Election Commission of India, is the dream of Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh” said Rahul Gandhi and asserted that such a dream is the dream of the entire youth of the country.
“Their senior leader undertook a yatra against corruption. They did not see the corruption of Reddy’s in Karnataka or the graft in Gujarat, Uttarakhand or Madhya Pradesh. When Mayawati removed her corrupt minister Kushwaha, BJP happily inducted him immediately. The leader who undertook the yatra did not see this. Whenever we notice corruption, we take immediate actions. Some of our ministers are in jail now” he argued referring BJP leader LK Advani’s rath yatra. “Now, BJP here says Uttarakhand needs Khanduri. If they need Khanduri, why did it remove him earlier? The BJP needs him to cover up the corruption” alleged Rahul Gandhi.
“In 2004 you gave mandate for a pro-poor Congress Government in Delhi. We had given only a single promise that a government of aam aadmi which works for poor, farmers, labourers, minorities, youth, underprivileged and we delivered it. While we made a single promise BJP brought out a slogan ‘India Shining’ in English. When asked about the origin of the slogan their senior leader said that they picked it from a Television advertisement. BJP was in power for five years. They never went to the villages, they did not come to your hilly areas, did not talk to you, never tried to find out your difficulties; but blindly believed that India was shining. BJP frame slogan watching the TV but we do not follow this policy. We believe in talking to the people directly,” added the Congress General Secretary.
He spoke at length of the various changes brought about by the Congress-led UPA government at the centre. Rahul Gandhi informed that the Congress government gave the right for job through MNREGA, Right to Information, Right of Education and also said that it now is in the process of legislation of the Right to Food which ensures that every poor family gets 35 Kg of food-grain.
“Who made the biggest employment generation program MNREGA?” he asked the crowd and the crowd responded with ‘Congress’. “In fact it was you who made this policy as you only had told us that there are no sufficient jobs available in villages and hilly areas. We came to know about this problem as we came to you, talked to you and enquired about your issues. We did not get the information from TV” continued Rahul Gandhi.
“When we realized this problem we introduced MNREGA to guarantee jobs for all. We ensured that every poor will get minimum of 100 days of work at a daily wages of Rs. 120/-. All the poor in the country are now guaranteed to get a job if they want and this policy benefitted crores of people,” he claimed.
To stress that Congress frames policies after going to the people Rahul Gandhi continued “We again came to you. Then the farmers told us that they face hardship as the doors of the banks are closed for them. We immediately took remedial measures in this regard and opened the doors of the banks for them. Further, we framed a policy of to waive off loans worth Rs. 60000 crores to help the farmers.”
“Why do we make such schemes?” he asked and quipped “we come to you to realise your pain. We gather information not from the TV but directly from the people. We know that no one can provide us the knowledge that we get from the poor, labourers and farmers.”
Once again taking a dig at BJP Rahul Gandhi said “When we talk about the rights of the people and frame policies for the poor BJP asks us from where we will have the money for the schemes. We showed them from where the money will come” he informed. “This is the money of your sweat and blood. This money is the result of hard work of your farmers and labourers. If the country is developing it is because of your efforts, blood and sweat,” said Rahul Gandhi amidst applauds. “We do only one thing. We ensure that the money we received from you reaches back to you,” he asserted.
“BJP does not ask from where the money is when it loots the funds sent by the Centre meant for the poor in the past five years. But when we talk about your rights and bring in policies for the welfare of the common man, they ask this question” commented Rahul Gandhi.
The Congress General Secretary further said that the Uttarakhand government thinks only in terms of usurping money sanctioned by the Central Government for various projects. “They sold the name of Lord Ram and also misused the funds for the Kumbh Mela. There are cases of mining scam and scam in the power sector here apart from the Kumbh Scam ” he said.  The BJP talks about corruption. But we believe in action. We do not believe in mere talks instead we deliver,” added Rahul Gandhi.
Arguing that the present day government was only concerned about plundering funds rather than thinking about the development and future of the state and the people the Congress General Secretary said that the need of the hour is to bring a government that has a pro-poor perspective.
“Now the time has come to remove the present BJP Government. You have a Government of aam aadmi in Delhi. Let us have a similar one in Uttarakhand too.  Central Government sends funds whatever the state asks for but at present the funds are not reaching you.” said the Congress youth leader. “You can change this situation by changing the system. Vote and elect a Congress Government. Support the Congress candidates for a better Uttarakhand” concluded Rahul Gandhi.