Kanpur: Sharing a common platform, UPA
chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata
Banerjee flagged off 12 new trains, including two Duranto and
a Shatabdi, from the industrial city on Sunday.
Gandhi, speaking on the occasion, asked all political
parties to rise above petty politics and support the Centre in
taking Uttar Pradesh on the road to development.
"I want to place Uttar Pradesh on the trajectory of
growth but it is possible only when all parties rise above
petty politics and support the Central government," she said.
Gandhi said it was because of the policies pursued by
the UPA government that the country was not much affected by
the global financial meltdown.
"The government ensured sufficient financial assistance
to all states, though it is a different issue whether the
funds were rightly utilised."
Smiling and chatting, Gandhi and Railway Minister
Banerjee flagged off 12 new trains, originating from different
cities in Uttar Pradesh to various destinations in the
country, at the function.
Nearly a month ago, Banerjee had attacked the Centre
over galloping food prices and the Maoist threat in West
Bengal.
Minister of State for Railways E Ahmed and K H
Muniyappa, local Congress MP Sriprakash Jaiswal and several
other leaders attended the function.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, February 07, 2010, 19:17