Firdaus Khan
Chauri Chaura (Uttar Pradesh). On the second day of the fourth phase of his campaign for Congress in the poll bound Uttar Pradesh All India congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Rahul Gandhi blamed non-Congress parties for the pathetic conditions in the state. Addressing a public rally at the historic Chauri Chaura, where several freedom fighters were hanged by the British in 1922 during the freedom struggle, the Congress General Secretary asked the people to fight for freedom from the 22 years misrule of the non-Congress Governments in the state.
Rahul Gandhi assured that Right to Food is an important step forward to eradicate the evil of hunger in the country and the Congress-led Government at the centre is committed to get the Food Security Bill passed. Rahul Gandhi also said that opposition parties including BSP have been opposing this much needed policy as they do not understand the pain and problems of the poor. 
“We want no one in this country to go to sleep hungry. This is the intention behind the Right to Food Bill. And the Dalits in the country, who are facing the scarcity of food the most, are going to be largely benefited” said Rahul Gandhi.
Taking a jab at Mayawati he continued “But Mayawati, soon after the introduction of the Bill, said that U.P will have no use with the Food Security Bill. She herself calls herself a ‘Dalit leader’ but does not know the real problems of the Dalits and the poor in particular. Had she ever come to you, she would have realized the gravity of the difficulties being faced by you, but unfortunately she never came”. “But despite all these oppositions, we will bring the Bill” assured Rahul Gandhi to the cheering crowd.
Rahul Gandhi also slammed BJP for its double-speak on corruption referring the induction of the tainted former BSP minister Babu Singh Kushwaha into its fold. “It was BJP which had toured the entire country against corruption but what is happening now? It has now inducted the most corrupt Babu Singh Kushwaha into its fold” he said.
 “The BJP Governments in Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Jharkhand are corrupt but BJP talks high about curbing corruption. Now they have inducted the most corrupt Kushwaha, said the Congress General Secretary taking a dig at the BJP run Governments.
 “Mayawati recently sacked some of her ministers alleging corruption when only a month is left for the next elections. Why did not she remove them before? But the interesting fact is that Mayawati sacks ministers and BJP is happily inducting them” he commented.
“The real problem is that your leaders do not come to you. Did Mayawati come to you in the past five years? Did Mulayam Singh Yadav come to you?” he asked and the crowd responded with a roaring ‘NO’.
“When I go to people, stay with them, share their meals and drink the muddy water from their well, several leaders laugh at me and ask why Rahul Gandhi is doing so. But I know the real strength of the country lies in the villages. Your strength and your hands are tied up for the past 22 years” said Rahul Gandhi and the crowd acknowledged it with cheers.
Rahul Gandhi reminded that in 2004 people gave a mandate for the Congress. He added that during the campaign for the Lok Sabha elections in 2004, while other parties made a number of hollow promises Congress had  promised a government of aam aadmi. “The opposition brought out slogans like India Shining. When those who had made the slogan were asked about its origin they said that they saw it in a television advertisement. They decided that India is shining without going to the people or talking to them. They did not go to people, share their meals or drink the contaminated water from their well, still believed blindly that India was shining.  We, instead, promised a government that works for aam aadmi, poor, minorities, dalits and adivasis and we delivered it,” he claimed.
 “We came to you, talked to you and enquired about your problems. We found that no jobs are available in the villages. So the first thing we did was to implement MGNREGA to guarantee jobs for all. By this biggest employment generation scheme poor are assured of jobs if they intend to work. Through MNREGA poor are assured of a minimum of 100 days jobs in a year and a daily wage of Rs 120. We thus send Rs 12000/- per person every year,” said Rahul Gandhi on UPA’s Mahatma Gandhi NREGA policy.
“When we make policies for the poor and aam aadmi, Mayawati and other opposition parties raise a number of questions. They ask from where we can have money for the scheme” Rahul Gandhi informed. “This money did not fall from the sky. This is the money of your sweat and blood. This money is the result of hard work of farmers and labourers from U.P in Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab. If the country is developing it is because of your efforts, your blood and sweat,” said Rahul Gandhi amidst applauds.
Further referring the misuse of Central funds sent to U.P Rahul Gandhi said, “We send thousands of crores of rupees to U.P. We sent huge funds under MNREGA and NRHM. But these funds did not reach you. The money meant for schools, roads and electricity is being looted here. The magic elephant in Lucknow, which eats poor people’s money instead of grass and leaves, gobbles up the entire funds”.
The Congress General Secretary blamed the 22 years of non-Congress Governments in UP for the lack of development in the state. He repeated his promise that a Congress Government will bring back development in Uttar Pradesh like it has been doing in all the Congress-ruled states.“You wasted 22 years by electing non-Congress Governments. You first elected BJP; they sought votes in the name of God. Then you voted for Mulayam Singh ji. He was in power for three terms. But he punctured your expectations. He promised development but criminals were seen even inside police stations. How can you trust him again? You can be sure that your FIRs will not be registered under their rule. You can be sure that Mulayam Ji will again say that there is no use for English or Computers for the poor in U.P”.
Taking a dig at Mulayam’s anti-computer, anti-English stance Rahul Gandhi went on to say “I know his son Akhilesh. He speaks English and knows Computers. If Mulayam Ji feels that there was no need for English and Computers in U.P. why did he allow his son to learn both?”
Reiterating the commitment of the Congress the M.P from Amethi added “We want every citizen, people from every caste, creed and religion, to be a part in the process of development”.
Criticising the stance of both Maya and Mulayam on Sachhar Committee reccomendations Rahul Gandhi said “When the Sachhar Committee recommended reservation for the minorities we decided to implement the same. We sent the scholarships as per their recomentations to all the states for minorities. But both Maya and Mulayam criticized us. Why they were silent all these years? Why did not they implement the reservation when they were in power? When the media persons asked them about their comment on the reservation issue, they kept mum. But when they knew that the Congress is firm to implement the reservation, they immediately came out with the complaint that the reservation is inadequate”.
Referring Bundelkhand Rahul Gandhi said “Either Mayawati, Mulayam or BJP did not visit the drought-hit Bundelkhand. But I went there. The people complained that the state Government is not at all helping them and requested my intervention to approach the Prime Minister to inform the state of affairs. I met the PM and the Centre sanctioned a relief package of Rs. 3000/- crore for them. But the funds vanished as the magic elephant consumed it. Montek Singh Ji had gone to Bundelkhand and he was shocked to see the improper usage of the funds”.
He then addressed the Bunkar’s issues and said “When we knew about the difficulties faced by the Bunkars in UP, we approached the Prime Minister and the Central Government approved a relief package of Rs. 3,000 crores. Some of the representatives of the Bunkars came to me and requested not to distribute the funds through the. UP Government sources as they feared that the amount would not reach them” and then informed “We therefore redrafted the policy so that the funds will  go directly to the person’s account”.
 “We should think about changing the bad state of affairs in UP. You have the strength in you and you have the knowledge. You can definitely bring in changes here. You gave 22 years for others, now give Congress five years. You trusted BSP, but the elephant ate up your funds. You voted for Cycle for three times. But it punctured your future” he argued.
“You must change this. Give Congress five years.” urged Rahul Gandhi. “We changed Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Missoram, Assam and Kerala. All these states are developing. We can change UP too. We will bring positive changes in UP within five years. The money meant for you should reach you. You need a Government which comes to you and helps you. So stand up and support the Congress candidate and elect a Congress Government” Rahul Gandhi concluded encouraging the gathering.