Firdaus Khan
Hardoi (Uttar Pradesh). Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a well attended gathering at Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh as part of his campaign for the Congress, recalled his great grand-father and the first Prime Minister of India Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru remembering his famous quote “I am not your first Prime Minister but am your first servant”. He said that every political leader should have this vision of Pt. Nehru that they are the servants of the people and the society... Rahul Gandhi said that the non-Congress parties who ruled the state for the past 22 years blocked development in Uttar Pradesh. The Congress General Secretary also said that the present BSP Government in U.P ignored the plight of the poor and looted the funds sent by the Central Government. Rahul Gandhi added that the state needs a government that works for all caste, religion, aam aadmi, poor, minorities, dalits and adivasis and only Congress can provide it.
Rahul Gandhi reminded that in 2004 people gave a mandate to the Congress. “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. “We want every citizen, people from every caste, creed and religion, to be a part in the process of development”.
“But the opposition NDA brought out a slogan ‘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 did not go to people, talk to them or enquire about their problems. Still believed blindly that India was shining,” he alleged. “You gave a befitting reply to them by electing a pro-poor Congress Government. You wanted a Government of Manmohan singh and Sonia Ji as we talked about aam aadmi”, he added.
Referring the 2009 Parliament election Rahul Gandhi said “They came to you in 2009 too. BJP, SP and BSP told you that the Congress is not going to win more than 60 seats. But you trusted Congress, elected us again and we formed a Government to serve you more”.
“When we came to you and enquired about your problems. You told that no jobs are available in the villages. 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,” said Rahul Gandhi.
 “But the people of U.P could not avail the benefits. Mayawati Ji says that there is no benefit for the people of U.P by the MNREGA policy. You may ask people in Kerala, Maharashtra, Haryana, Delhi or Assam. Everyone will vouch for the benefit of the same. They will admit that they could get jobs, respect and for the first time they felt that a Government extended its helping hand to them”.
“Mayawati Ji does not know your problems as she never comes to you. Did she ever come to you in the past five years? Did Mulayam Ji ever visit you?“ he asked.
“You possess tremendous knowledge. I studied in America. But what I could learn from you in the past seven years is much more than what I studied in college” said Rahul Gandhi.
“But your leaders do not come to you. They do not listen to the voice of the poor and women. The women actually take care of the future of our nation” said Rahul Gandhi.
“Did this government do anything for the farmers?” he asked and said “We realize your strength as well as your difficulties. We, therefore, had framed the policy to waive-off loan of poor farmers worth Rs. 60000 crore. But here the lands of the poor were forcibly acquired by the Mayawati Government. When the farmers demanded adequate compensation for their lands they were beaten up by the police, poor women also were assaulted. Mayawati Ji or Mulayam Ji never took pain to visit the region. When I went there the authorities told me that the agitating farmers were ‘Naxals’. This is the state of affairs in U.P” he said.
Referring Bundelkhand Rahul Gandhi said “I had personally requested Chief Minister Mayawati Ji to visit drought-hit Bundelkhand to find a solution to the affected people. She did not go. I went there and visited various villages and talked to a number of farmers. The people complained that the U.P Government is not realizing their issues and not helping them. We therefore took up the issue and went to the Prime Minister and requested his intervention. He immediately sanctioned the relief package” he informed.
“We had sent sufficient funds. The funds sent for the tractors and wells were not for the ministers or their children, but for the benefit of the poor people in the region” said Rahul Gandhi and added “This problem is not only of Bundelkhand. The entire state is having the same pathetic state of affairs. The funds sent under various schemes like MNREGA or NRHM were looted in U.P. The magic elephant of Mayawati in Lucknow consumes the funds meant for the poor. It eats currency notes instead of leaves and grass”.
This is the money of your sweat and blood. This money is not of the Congress party, SP, BSP or Rahul Ji. This money is the result of hard work of farmers and labourers from UP 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.
“If we want to take UP forward, leaders should go to the people, talk to them and realize their issues. The leaders should listen to the voice of the poor, aam aadmi, women, backward people, minorities and all other class of the people” he reiterated.
“Mulayam Ji was the Chief Minister thrice and Mayawati Ji was the Chief Minister for four times. BJP also ruled the state. But nobody did anything for the development of the state in the past 22 years. One side the elephant which eats the public funds, and the other side is the punctured cycle. We should free Uttar Pradesh from them” urged Rahul Gandhi.
“These parties now again have come to you with lots of promises as elections are round the corner. They never deliver their promises and forget people after the elections. But the Congress is committed for development and it did bring in positive changes wherever it is in power. Your people go to these places and put in your maximum efforts to develop the places. The people of U.P developed Maharashtra and Delhi. Now let us change U.P too” urged Rahul Gandhi.      
“I am here not for elections, but to bring in positive changes in Uttar Pradesh” Rahul Gandhi reiterated. “I will not move till a Government of aadmi is formed here.” asserted Rahul Gandhi.
He repeated his promise that a Congress Government will bring back developments in Uttar Pradesh like it has been doing in all the Congress-ruled states. “We changed Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, 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 that comes to you and helps you. So stand up and support the Congress candidates and elect a Congress Government,” Rahul Gandhi said amidst acknowledgements from the crowd.
 “Congress talks only about development. We talk about your rights. We gave you the right to information, right to education, right to job and now we are planning to bring the right to food. We want that no one in this country sleep without food” said Rahul Gandhi. “But will the food send to Uttar Pradesh reach you?” he asked with a comment “The food will reach you only if you have a government of aam aadmi by the Congress in U.P”.
“So now this is the time to put an end to all these miseries. You can see the states Maharashtra, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi or Kerala where Congress is in power. All are developing. We can change UP too. So stand up. Fight for a change” Rahul Gandhi asserted encouraging the gathering.
“I want the entire country to look at Uttar Pradesh and marvel at the developments in the state. That will definitely happen of you give a chance to Congress” he spoke to the cheering crowd.
“You have a government of aam aadmi at Delhi. Now let us bring such a government in UP too. Give Congress a chance. You will see the positive changes in U.P,” concluded Rahul Gandhi.