Firdaus Khan
Sitapur (Uttar Pradesh). While addressing an election rally at Sitapur as part of his ongoing campaign for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi urged the people to judge him only on his actions. “Don’t trust my words, but judge me only on my deeds” said Rahul Gandhi. “I do not make hollow promises, but will promise you only one thing that a government of aam aadmi like we did it at the Centre” he added. Stressing that he would not budge till the state's progress is in place, Rahul Gandhi said... that there was a need to think of the future, which leaders of Uttar Pradesh were not doing. Rahul Gandhi said that the 22 years misrule by the non-Congress Governments in UP blocked the path of development and dragged the state backwards.
Referring 2004 Parliament elections Rahul Gandhi reminded “During the campaign for the Lok Sabha elections in 2004 while other parties made a number of hollow promises Congress had only promised a government of aam aadmi that works for poor, farmers, minorities, dalits and adivasis and we delivered it”.
“But BJP and NDA brought out a slogan in English ‘India Shining. When asked about the origin of the slogan their senior leader said that they picked it from a television advertisement. They were in power for five years. But they did not go to people, talked to them or enquired about their problems, still believed blindly that India was shining.”
“I am reminding you the 2004 slogan because, I believe that there should be proper thought before finalizing a slogan. They should have gone to people to know the reality. They just coined a slogan, that too in English, without ascertaining the reality. They should feel ashamed,” said the Congress General Secretary.
“Poverty is the biggest threat for development at present. But the BJP and NDA never talked about that” blamed Rahul Gandhi.
“What did we do? We came to you and asked about your difficulties. You had told us that there are no sufficient jobs available in the villages. The people are forced to migrate to big cities for jobs. So the first thing we did was to implement MNREGA, the biggest employment guarantee scheme, to guarantee jobs for all. By this biggest employment generation scheme poor are assured of jobs if they intend to work. Every poor is assured of 100 days of work at a daily wages of Rs 120 thus amounting to Rs 12,000 a year,” said Rahul Gandhi on UPA’s Mahatma Gandhi NREGA policy.
“Then we went to the farmers and asked about their problems. They told us that the doors of the banks are closed for them and many of them are being burdened with huge loans. The Centre took necessary measures to open the doors of the banks for the farmers and also framed a policy to waive off loan of the poor farmers worth Rs. 60000 crore” informed Rahul Gandhi.
Taking a dig at BJP he continued “We did come to know these problems not from TV, not through bureaucrats or officials, but directly from the people”.     
“When drought-hit Bundelkhand was crying for help neither Mayawati Ji nor Mulayam Ji went there. I had personally requested the Chief Minister to kindly go there. But she refused,” said Rahul Gandhi.  
“I could not gather the knowledge that I could learn from you elsewhere, even by my studies in U.S” he added. “You, the aam aadmi, possess tremendous knowledge. No leader has the knowledge like you have. But they should come to you to educate themselves” observed Rahul Gandhi. 
“Mayawati was the Chief Minister for the past five years in U.P” said Rahul Gandhi and then asked “Did she come to you even once? Did Mulayam Ji ever come to you?” The big crowd responded with a roaring no.
“Till the leaders go to people and interact with them to realize their issues, the state cannot progress. You see the state of Andhra Pradesh. Congress developed the state in ten years because our leaders went to the people to understand their grievances”, he claimed.
“Your Chief Minister forgot you after the elections. She never comes to you but roams around in Helicopter. I too travel by helicopter. If we watch from the sky everything seem to be fine. But we can realize the real problems of the poor only if we go to their houses, talk to them, share their meals and drink water which they drink. Unfortunately the present Government does not realize your strength” concerned Rahul Gandhi.
“Even a child in Uttar Pradesh knows that it is not possible for anyone to fetch a job here. This is the condition in your state” said the Congress leader.
“We made policies like MNREGA, waived-off loans of farmers and now we are in the process of bringing the right to food policy by which every poor is assured of 35 Kg of food grain. When we make these policies Mayawati Ji and the BJP ask us from where  will the money come?” he wondered.
“This money is not of BSP, SP, BJP or Congress. This is the money of your sweat and blood. This money is the result of hard work of farmers and labourers. If the country is developing it is because of your efforts, your blood and sweat” said Rahul Gandhi amidst applauds.
We sent thousands of crores of rupees under MNREGA. But your Chief Minister says that the scheme is of no use. You go to any other places where Congress is in power like Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala or Maharashtra, every poor will vouch for the benefit of MNREGA” he claimed.
“When we talk about right for job, Mayawati Ji calls it a drama. When we talk about right to food BSP and SP call it a drama of the Congress. When I go the people and interact with them, it is again a drama for them. What drama they are talking about? Giving food or job to the poor a drama? If these are naatak then I will continue this naatak throughout my life” declared Rahul Gandhi and the crowd acknowledged it with applauds.
“I go to the people to realize their strength. Your hands are tied now. The moment your hands are freed, the state will start developing. For the past 22 years, your leaders never came to you. They were busy looting the public money. The magic elephant in Lucknow gobbles up the funds meant for the poor, instead of grass and leaves” he added.
"These parties have looted your hard earned money, sold God Ram, religion and caste and never talked about progress and development in the past 22 years" he asserted.
“Now this is election time and these parties have come again with new promises. SP promises free electricity. But there was no electricity when it was in power. There are no sufficient electricity generating units in Uttar Pradesh, but promises free electricity. It was complete goonda raj under its regime. People were not able to file FIR in police stations. There was a scam in the police department too. No parties did anything for the progress and development of Uttar Pradesh for the past 22 years. If you elect them again, the same wrong-doings will continue” he reminded.
“Mulayam Singh says that he is concerned for minorities. But who did implement Sachar Commission recommendations? It was Congress which did it. We sent huge amounts for the welfare of the minority and by way of scholarship. But that money never reached you” alleged the Congress General Secretary.
“When we first talked about the reservation for the minorities, Mayawati Ji wrote to the PM seeking for reservation. What was as she doing in the last five years? Mulayam Ji was silent on this issue when asked by the media. But when he came to know that the Congress is determined to move ahead with the policy of granting reservation for the minorities, he complained that quota of reservation is inadequate. Thrice he was the Chief Minister. What was he doing then?” asked Rahul Gandhi.
“In 2009, the leaders of SP had approached the Congress for an electoral understanding. They had offered us about five to six seats as they felt that our party would not perform better than that. We rejected their proposal and told them that we were going to face the elections alone. Our intention was pure. We did not embrace people like Kalyan Singh for narrow political gains. We never made compromises at the cost of people’s interest. When results were declared we could secure more seats than what SP got” informed Rahul Gandhi.
“I am in politics for the past seven years. I have a dream for the state of U.P that state will reach the top in the table of development. I will not leave this place till I ensure progress in the state. We brought MNREGA, gave right to food, sanctioned relief packages for Bunkars and the people of Bundelkhand. Please tell me any one such good scheme brought in by the state Governments in the past 22 years” asked Rahul Gandhi.
“I feel angry that the successive governments in U.P, for the past few years, do not think about development. They only talk about a particular caste or religion. Your people are forced to go to Maharashtra, Mumbai, Haryana, Delhi or even Ladak and help those states to develop. But U.P slips backwards” said Rahul Gandhi.
Telling the audience that the mobile phone in the hands of people in villages was a result of forward looking thinking of his father, late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi said that he was told about mobile phone when he was 12 or 15 years old that the day phone reached villages they would wake up. “The problem is that the present leaders think only about today. They do not plan for the future” said Rahul Gandhi.
“Now time has come to change the bad state of affairs in Uttar Pradesh. You go to other places and bring in positive changes there. Now let us change U.P too. The moment you have a Government of aam aadmi, the moment your leaders start coming to you and the moment the funds sent by the Centre start reaching you, the state will start progressing. We assure you that a Congress Government will bring in development here. You gave 22 years to others. Now please give five years to Congress.” he urged.
“I want the entire country look at Uttar Pradesh and marvel at the developments in the state. I dream for a day when the people from other states come to Uttar Pradesh for better jobs, education and health facilities.” he said to the cheering crowd.
“This is not the question of future of BSP or SP, but it is your future. U.P needs a government that works for all caste, religion, aam aadmi, poor, minorities, dalits and adivasis and only Congress can provide it. The moment you have a Congress Government in Uttar Pradesh, you will start witnessing developments again. Support Congress and elect our candidates,” concluded Rahul Gandhi.
“I am sure that day will come. The state of Uttar Pradesh placed on the top of the developing states. We together will work from the core of our heart to make that dream a reality,” concluded Rahul Gandhi.