Ballia/Deoria (Uttar Pradesh): Targeting SP
leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, Rahul Gandhi today accused him of
misguiding Muslims on the reservation issue and urged the
people to give a chance to Congress to usher in a corruption-
free and development-oriented government in UP.
Addressing election rallies in Ballia and Deoria, Gandhi
said the SP chief sometimes demands 18 per cent reservation
quota and at other times 28 per cent quota for them.
Gandhi also said Yadav had vowed not to align with former
chief minister Kalyan Singh but had later backtracked.
"Mulayam Singhji had stated that he would never tie up
with Kalyan Singh but did the same for political gains and
now he is misguiding Muslims on the reservation issue",
Gandhi, who is on the third day of his five-day visit, said.
Rubbishing Samajwadi Party`s election slogan "umeed ki
cycle", he said that people of the state have not forgotten
the "misgovernance" of the previous SP government.
"Mulayam Singh Yadav says that he has umeed ki cycle.
You relied on this cycle thrice but what did you get? What is
the meaning of umeed ki cycle. Is this a joke ? Are the people
unaware of the reality", he asked.
Attacking BSP, BJP and SP for the backwardness of Uttar
Pradesh, Gandhi said only Congress can bring a change that
will benefit the people in all aspects.
"BJP, BSP and SP have done nothing for you. You have
given them 22 years. Give us five years. The state will begin
to change. We will change Uttar Pradesh," he said in Ballia.
At Deoria, where he addressed another election rally in
the day, Gandhi repeated his charge that huge amounts of
central funds were being misutilised by the Mayawati
government.
"There is an elephant in Lucknow. This is a typical
elephant. While ordindary elephants live on grass, this
elephants eats up people`s money. This is the first elephant
that eats up the money of the poor," the AICC general
secretary said drawing cheers from the crowd.
PTI
