Firdaus Khan
Hapur (Uttar Pradesh). Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi while addressing a massive election rally in Hapur as part of his campaign for the ongoing assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, said that the mission of the non-Congress parties which ruled UP in the last 22 years has been to loot the public money meant for the poor.

“These non-Congress parties do not talk about farmers, poor or workers; they are not bothered about electricity, water or jobs for the people. They think only about amassing wealth. They have got only one mission – to loot the public money of the common man,” said the Congress General Secretary amidst loud applauds.

He asked the crowd, “You have been experiencing the regime of different parties – BJP, BSP and SP - in the state for the past 22 years. Did you get anything? Is UP developing?” The crowd responded loudly with ‘no’.
“The entire world appreciates that India is developing very fast. Every state in India is developing. But the biggest state Uttar Pradesh is slipping back. There is no fault with the people of Uttar Pradesh. Your people go to Haryana, Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra and develop those places. But why is UP not developing?” Rahul Gandhi asked.

“The reason is that the present leaders in UP are not bothered about the people. After coming to power they do not go to the people or talk to the farmers, labourers and poor to know their problems. The people here put in their hard work in the sugar mills and potato fields. But there was a Rs. 2000 crore scam in the sale of sugar mills in UP,” he reminded.

“This money is yours. This money is the result of your hard work. The mill was of the people,” asserted Rahul Gandhi.

“We (Congress) also run a Government at the Centre, from 2004. We came to you and enquired about your difficulties. When we realized the problems of the farmers we designed a policy to waive-off the loans for them worth Rs. 60000 crore. We fought for the farmers in Tappal and Bhatta-Parsaul. What did the state Government do for the farmers? It grabbed their lands and sold it to the rich builders. When the poor farmers demanded adequate compensation, they received bullets. No one from BSP or SP visited them. But when I went there, Mayawati Ji and Mulayam Ji call me mad,” argued Rahul Gandhi.

“We gave you MNREGA, relief packages for farmers and now we are ready with the Food Security Bill, by which every poor family is assured with 35Kg of food grains. We also fought for the rights of the Bunkars and approved a relief package for them too including waiving off loans and Bunkars’s credit cards,” he informed.

Rahul Gandhi further said, “Mulayam Singh Ji calls himself a leader of the Muslims. Did Mulayam Singh Ji do anything for them in the past 22 years? But now during elections he showers promises. He was Chief Minister thrice but did nothing for the Muslims.”

“Mulayam Singh Yadav promises free electricity in the entire U.P. He was the Chief Minister thrice. I still remember that the people used to receive hefty bills, though there was no adequate electricity,” he remarked.

Referring to Mulayam Singh’s poll promise, Rahul Gandhi continued, “Mulayam Singh Ji also promises that he would convert Bundelkhand to Israel. No one in Bundelkhand wants Israel. They want electricity, water and sufficient food. But he talks about Israel. He was the Chief Minister for three terms. What did he do for them? When people of drought-hit Bundelkhand were crying for help where was he? I had gone to different villages in the region. I could see neither Mulayam Ji nor Mayawati there. Mayawati Ji was the Chief Minister, but never visited Bundelkhand,” asserted the Congress General Secretary.

Rahul Gandhi added, “Congress implemented Sachar Commission’s recommendations. When we sent the money for scholarship to Uttar Pradesh that got vanished in Lucknow. The funds reach Kerala and Tamil Nadu but the same did not reach the people in UP.”

“When media persons had asked Mulayam Ji about his stand on reservation, he did not utter any word. But when Congress, Manmohan Singh Ji and Sonia Ji went ahead with reservation, he complained that it was inadequate. He was the Chief Minister in UP thrice. Why did not he do anything then? When Rasheed Masood Ji talked about reservation he was expelled from SP,” said the Congress leader questioning the double speak of SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on the issue of Muslim reservation.

He did not spare Mayawati also. “Mayawati says that she has written to the Prime Minister on reservation. Nothing is going to happen with letters. She has been in power, but took no steps in this regard,” said Rahul Gandhi
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“The leaders in Uttar Pradesh do nothing. It is the people here who work hard. The poor labourers and farmers shed their sweat and blood and develop the country. But the leaders do not respect them. They loot the money, meant for the poor. During election time they come to you and make tall promises. After coming to power, they forget the people and loot their money. This has been happening for the past 22 years in UP,” said the Congress General Secretary.

“We also have a Government at the Centre. We are committed to serve the poor and aam aadmi. We fight for them” he claimed. “You need a similar Government in Lucknow too. Please support Congress and elect its candidates. Free your arms and help Congress to form a Government in UP” urged Rahul Gandhi.

“You have been tolerating the misdeeds of these parties since 22 years. Now stop tolerating and remove these parties and elect Congress. The development will start in five years and in ten years you will not be able to recognize the state,” assured the Congress leader.
Rahul Gandhi then addressed the youth and said “The time has come for a change; so stand up, fight to bring in positive changes in UP. All industries go to Haryana and your people go there for jobs. You are forced to migrate to the places like Delhi and Maharashtra”.

“A Congress Government will ensure jobs for the youth in Uttar Pradesh itself. We also will ensure proper health and education facilities in your state. Do not think about caste or religion and talk about development. Changes can be brought in and I assure that we will transform UP,” concluded Rahul Gandhi.