Ramabai Nagar (UP): Firing a fresh salvo at
the BSP-led Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh, Congress
leader Rahul on Saturday alleged the money meant for Bundelkhand
farmers was misused by minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui.
Addressing a rally here on the last day of his five-day
mass contact programme in the state, he accused state
Ministers and officials of siphoning central funds.
"Funds were sent for farmers of Bundelkhand region under
a special package but were misused by PWD minister Naseemuddin
Siddiqui for buying tractors for his relatives," Rahul said.
Crores of rupees were provided to the state government
for providing health services in the state but they were
siphoned off by the officials and ministers, the Congress
general secretary alleged.
"The ministers involved are now rushing to Delhi to save
themselves from the CBI probe," he said.
The funds sent by the UPA government were meant for
various social welfare schemes in the state and not for
ministers and officials, the Congress leader said.
"It saddens me when poor people in the state are not able
to get benefits of various welfare schemes," he said.
"It is because funds are not spent on welfare schemes
that the people have to migrate to Mumbai, Delhi and other
cities in search of jobs."
"How many labourers from the state who constructed the
Delhi Metro have the status of travelling in the service?"
asked the Gandhi scion.
"Over the past 22 years in the state, the BJP has done
politics of religion and caste. The SP has also looted people
in the name of caste," Rahul said adding "BSP's elephant only
eats money".
He urged the people to give a chance to the Congress in
the upcoming state Assembly election and the party would make
sure that those seeking employment would not have to go to
other states.
Rahul presented himself as a sepoy of most backward
classes, dalits and minorities saying if the Congress comes
to power in the state then all these sections of society will
not remain neglected.
"They will get an equal status in every field and he will
stand by their side like a sepoy at every moment," the
Congress general secretary said.
In 1985, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was opposed
for introducing computers, television and mobile phones but
today the country is benefiting from the communication
revolution, he said.
"Today when we try to take any big step for the progress
of the country then it is opposed by opposition parties in the
same way as they had opposed mobile phones at one point of
time," Gandhi said.
Congress never uses any section of society as a vote
bank as is being done by other parties which have ruled the
state, he said.
"What have they given you apart from speeches and false
promises?" Rahul questioned.
He said most backward classes in the state have not got a
proportionate representation in politics as per their
population.
The rally was attended by Union ministers Vayalar Ravi,
Sri Prakash Jaiswal and Salman Khurshid.
Earlier in the day, the Congress leader told a rally in
Tirwa that people of Uttar Pradesh have power to change the
destiny of the whole country as they are very hard working.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, December 17, 2011, 09:04