Bareilly: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today
had a dig at LK Advani`s nation-wide yatra on the issue of
corruption, saying he failed to see scams in Uttar Pradesh and
BJP-ruled states like Uttarakhand and Karnataka.
"Though the BJP leader toured the whole country on the
issue of corruption, he did not see scams in UP and states
like Uttarakhand and Karnataka, ruled by his party," Rahul
said at an election meeting here.
He also charged BJP MPs with not pressing the right button
when the Lokpal Bill was put to vote in Parliament.
"At that time, BJP leaders were laughing, saying that the
Lokpal Bill was not their dream. They did not think of the
people. But the Congress always keeps the common man in mind,"
he said.
Stressing that the Congress launched MNREGA so that
everyone could get employment, he said Congress brought the
loan waiver scheme worth Rs 60,000 crore for farmers.
"Then for the weavers, we brought a loan waiver scheme,
gave them subsidy on thread and also a weaver credit card,
apart from easy loan," he said.
Gandhi said the biggest problem in Uttar Pradesh was that
its leaders did not reach out to the people. "They think they
know everything whereas the truth is that the common man has
more knowledge than the leaders. Have you ever seen Mayawati
or Mulayam Singh in your village? Do they ever talk to you?"
he asked.
Now that elections are on, the SP chief is promising free
electricity and says he will turn Bundelkhand into Israel. "He
has been chief minister thrice - why didn`t he do it then?" he
posed.
Rahul said when the people of Bundelkhand came during the
drought and recounted their problems, the Prime Minister
immediately provided a package but the money did not reach
them because the `elephant` - symbol of ruling BSP - in
Lucknow gobbled it all.
Taking pot shots at the SP chief, Rahul asked as to what
he had done for the Muslims when he was the chief minister
three times in the last two decades.
On the other hand, he said, the Congress set up the
Sachchar committee and implemented its recommendations. The
Centre sent money for scholarships for children belonging to
minority communities but the money went missing in UP even
though it reached the minorities in Kerala, Assam and Andhra
Pradesh, he said.
Similarly, he said, when the Congress gave 4.5 per cent
reservation to backward Muslims, both Mulayam Singh and
Mayawati were critical.
"Mulayam Singh termed it as insufficient but why did he
not give reservation when he was chief minister. Mayawati said
she had written a letter to Prime Minister but she is chief
minister and could have announced reservation in UP," Rahul
said.
"In 2009, the Samajwadi Party had embraced Kalyan Singh
but the Congress has never compromised for the sake of votes.
The Congress is ready to compromise only for the common man,"
Rahul said adding that the Congress has changed Andhra
Pradesh, Delhi, Assam, Maharashtra and Haryana, and now it was
the turn of Uttar Pradesh.
He appealed to the people to vote for Congress and bring
UP on the path of development.
At another election meeting in Rampur, Rahul accused the
SP chief of doing nothing for the Muslim community despite
being in power in the state thrice.
On the other hand, he said, the Congress government
proposed to give 4.5 per cent reservation to the Muslims.
"Now it is for the community to judge which political
party was friendly to it," Rahul said.
The Congress general secretary urged the electorate to
compare developmental works carried out in Congress-ruled
states with those in UP.
He said the condition prevailing in Uttar Pradesh was
"very poor" and attributed it to the non-Congress parties
ruling the state during last two decades.
"You will find dogs roaming freely in hospitals but
doctors unavailable to attend to patients," the Congress
leader lamented.
He urged the electorate to teach the opposition a lesson
in the polls by making them bite the dust.
PTI
