BSP synonymous with graft: Sonia
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and minister of state for communications & IT Sachin Pilot during an election rally
UPA chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi said on Sunday that the Bahujan Samaj Party government in Uttar Pradesh had become synonymous with corruption.
Addressing an election rally in Saharanpur, Mrs Gandhi said, “All these parties attack Congress whenever we take any step against graft because these parties encourage corruption, atrocities and divisive ideology. No one took any step to curb corruption like the Congress did. The present BSP government is a synonym for corruption.”
Mrs Gandhi said that the Centre had sent lakhs of crores of rupees to the state.
“We had sent `9,000 crore under the National Rural Health Mission to provide adequate health facilities for the poor. But these funds were swindled in corruption and scams by the present BSP government and they are now trying to protect the culprits. The same has happened with the MNREGA funds too,” she said.
She said that she was aware that the people of the state wanted to teach a lesson to such parties and added that the Congress never cheated people by making false promises. “It is the BJP, BSP and SP that make promises and never fulfil them. These parties have been betraying the people,” she added.
Mrs Gandhi asked the gathering, “What have you got in the past 22 years?
“Did you get proper electricity and water? Do you have proper roads here? Are your children able to get proper education? Are the fertilisers and seeds available for farmers? Has any new industry come up in UP? How many youth in the state are able to get a job here? Are you happy with the law and order situation in UP?” she asked question after question and the crowds responded with a loud “No”.
Listing the achievements of the Congress-led coalition at the Centre, Mrs Gandhi said, “We have launched several welfare schemes and policies for the people. We formulated the Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission to ensure house, water and roads, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan to ensure that every children in the age group of 6 to 14 get proper education, Mid-day meal scheme to ensure food to every children in the schools, Pradhanmantri Gram Sadak Yojana, loan facilities for the women under Self Help Group scheme and implemented Rajiv Gandhi Electrification Scheme to provide electricity at every place. We have also doubled the wages of the Anganwadi workers and sanctioned a relief package worth more than `70,000 crores to waive-off the loans of the poor farmers.”
Mrs Gandhi referred to the Centre’s policies for minorities and said that the Congress implemented the recommendations of the Sachar Committee.
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