Zee Media Bureau
Rajnandgaon: A day after his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi recalled the Maoist attack on its frontline leaders in Chhattisgarh, Rahul Gandhi on Friday invoked the similar sentiments.
Addressing a rally here ahead of polls, the Congress vice president said when his party leadership was massacred in Chhattisgarh, the state government led by the BJP did nothing.
Hitting out at the BJP, Rahul claimed the state government said the massacre was not its fault.
Congress leaders killed in Maoist attack were voice of the people, said Rahul, adding the only way Nand Kumar Patel could have been stopped from becoming the CM was to kill him.
Rahul further accused the BJP government of failing to develop the state in the past 10 years.
Calling the BJP government in Chhattisgarh "world champion in corruption", Rahul Gandhi told the supporters that the state is rich in land and resources, but people are poor.
He further promised to "bring a government of the common man" in Chhattisgarh.
Tearing apart the BJP`s claim of development, Rahul asked the crowd if people were earning daily wages, youth were getting jobs and children were getting education.
Pointing out that Maoism is prevalent in Chhattisgarh and women are forgotten here, Rahul hailed his government for providing the RTI, "a powerful weapon against corruption".
Land was snatched from poor in Chhattisgarh and given to industrialists, said the Congress vice president and added that his party brought the Land Bill.
We brought food security for the benefit of the entire country, underlined Rahul.
Calling Congress as the party of the common people, of the poor people, of the adivasis, Rahul told the crowd said the BJP people are trying to snatch land jungles from you.
Go door to door and ask people to vote for Congress, urged Rahul to the crowd.
The rallies are part of the Congress`s election campaign in the state which has two-phase Assembly polls on November 11 and 19.
The BJP has been ruling Chhattisgarh for 10 years now under Chief Minister Raman Singh.
`We talk of rights for youth, tribals, women`
Addressing an election rally in Kanker, the Congress vice president said people will see a "miracle" once a Congress government assumes office in Chhattisgarh.
"We talk of rights for youth, tribals, women...But BJP wants to take back the rights. Everyone know what happens to women here. We will take care of women when we come to power," he said.
Gandhi said before the rally, locals told him that there are no teachers in schools. "Where are the teachers, are doctors there in hospitals," he asked slamming the Raman Singh government.
The Congress leader alleged that the state government was furthering the interests of industrialists. "They (industrialists) are taking away your land, your forests," he said.
He said while BJP claims it is a "shining government, all I see is worry. Women are worried."
Gandhi said he was willing to take up their cause in Delhi. But for better results, the state too needs to have a Congress government. "I will fight your battle in Delhi till the end," he said.
He said Congress wants to bring in the government of "aam admi" (common man) in the state. "...Then you will see the miracle," he said.
In the first direct attack on Gandhi in recent times, Modi had said she should speak up on coal and 2G spectrum scams and alleged that the Congress was "misleading" the country on issues like development, inflation and employment generation.
Referring to his recent visit to Jammu and Kashmir, he said nearly 14,000 people have been provided with employment in that state and plans are to provide one lakh more jobs.
He said he wants to replicate the Jammu and Kashmir model in Chhattisgarh.
Striking an emotive note, Gandhi said the people of the area shared an old relationship with his grandmother Indira Gandhi and his father Rajiv Gandhi and he too shared the same sentiments with them.
Terming panchayati raj as an important tool of empowerment, he said Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra have strong panchayati raj institutions and he wants the same to happen in this state.
Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress chief Charandas Mahant said 1300 Adivasis have died in Naxal conflict. "Malnutrition is rampant in the State and the problem of women security still persists," he charged.
In his address, Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Campaign Committee Motilal Vora alleged that there has been no development in Chhattisgarh. "There are only inauguration of projects, but no work," he said.
