Firdaus Khan
Dadri, Gautambudh Nagar (Uttar Pradesh). Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi has said that the non-Congress parties which ruled UP in the last 22 years wanted to divide the people.
“These parties want to divide the people, not to unite them,” said the Congress General Secretary amidst loud applause at a mammoth election rally in Dadri on Sunday. The rally was part of his campaign for the ongoing assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.
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 a ‘no’.
“Since 2004, the Congress also runs a Government at the Centre. 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 called me mad,” argued Rahul Gandhi.
Highlighting the rampant corruption in UP, Rahul Gandhi said, “When the Centre sanctioned a relief package for the Bunkars, the representatives of the Bunkars came to me and requested me not to send the money to Lucknow as they feared that it would be gobbled up by the elephant there. We therefore took steps to credit the fund directly to their account. The funds for aam aadmi and for Bundelkhand also vanished in Lucknow.”
“Every person in UP will admit that the welfare funds are being looted in the state. The amount meant for roads, heath and education were also pocketed by the BSP leaders and ministers,” he added.
“Why are your people forced to migrate to other cities,” Rahul Gandhi asked and commented, “because there are no jobs are available in UP. You go to Haryana, Delhi and Maharashtra, put in your hard work and develop those states”.
Rahul Gandhi 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.”
Rahul Gandhi added, “Congress implemented Sachar Commission’s recommendations to make sure that the minorities also take part in the process of development. When we sent the money for scholarships to
Uttar Pradesh, that disappeared in Lucknow. The funds reach Kerala and Tamil Nadu but the same do 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.
Taking on Mayawati, Rahul Gandhi continued, “Mayawati says that she had written to the Prime Minister on reservation. But what is the need of a letter? She has been in power, She could have taken positive steps in this regard,” said Rahul Gandhi.
“The reality is that these people do not want to do anything for the minorities and it is sure that they will not help them. They will come during elections, make big promises and vanish after that,” argued the Congress General Secretary.
“All the Congress-ruled states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Assam are surging ahead. But UP remains the same for the past 22 years. These non-Congress parties come to you and promise water, electricity and jobs, but deliver nothing”, he argued.
“But Congress is committed for development. It does not cheat people by giving promises. We want to bring back progress in UP. I am here to fight for the future of the youth in Uttar Pradesh. Free your arms and help Congress to form a Government in Lucknow,” urged Rahul Gandhi.
“I am here not to shower promises. You will see Rahul Gandhi amongst the farmers, workers and poor in the villages till development is visible in U.P. I will not leave this place till the state of U.P stands on its own feet and the youth start getting jobs here,” he declared concluding his address and the crowd acknowledged it with cheers.