Rahul Gandhi kick-started the Congress's campaign in Uttar Pradesh for national polls due by May, by addressing a rally in Aligarh.
Rahul Gandhi today kick-started the Congress's campaign in Uttar Pradesh for national polls due by May, by addressing rallies in Aligarh and Rampur.
Here are the highlights: In Aligarh: - Are the laptops working? Did it give you employment
- I was told that what I said on Ordinance was at a wrong time
- I said that I was honest
- Sach bolne ka bhi samai hota he kya? (Is there a right time to speak the truth?)
- When farmers were killed here, we promised that we would protect them
- I promised that Cong will fight with you and surely win it
- It took time, but the promise was fulfilled. We fought and we made sure that the Bill was passed
- We provided employment to crores, and then we brought food security
- Not only tomorrow, but your kids will get food everyday
- Not a single person will go hungry in Uttar Pradesh
- Not UP, but UPA govt promises you this
- UP is regressing because political forces make you fight amongst yourselves
- Hindus and Muslims died in Muzaffarnagar riots..I spoke to both communities, they told me, there is no anger betweem them. Politicians have created this rift
- Muzaffarnagar riots caused because of political forces
- Common man does not want to fight, he wants to live peacefully, and earn a living
- We will not allow these people to incite violence
- If Uttar Pradesh is lagging behind, it's because you are divided
- You are made to fight amongst yourselves
- We in the Congress will change that, we will fight those forces
In Rampur:
- The Samajwadi Party may think implementing the food security act in Uttar Pradesh before 2014 elections may benefit the Congress
- I urge you to put pressure on the government, so that everyone benefits
- I went to Muzaffarnagar and everyone told me they had no quarrel between them and that the riots were orchestrated by politicians
- No politician dies in riots, the common man does. This is not the politics of the Congress.
- We want everyone to live in peace and talk development
- There has been zero development in Uttar Pradesh - whether it was the SP or the BSP.
- If UP has to be truly transformed, you need to vote and bring the Congress to power
- There was an old land acquisition law under which a poor man's land could be taken away by the govt
- We fought in Bhatta Parsaul, Aligarh and in Parliament - and we got the bill passed
- The new law not only benefits land owners but also those who till the land
- Congress will continue to fight for the poor and the downtrodden
- A woman came to me and said you have given us 50% reservation in Panchayats - now what about Parliament? I told her if you get 50% in Parliament and Assemblies, the rest 50% you'll get by controlling your husband - so women will have 100% reservation
- I want to make politics approachable for common people - people should be able to join political parties
- Open the closed doors of the government and bureaucracy and put the common man there. Empower him with laws like RTI
- The govt must function for 5 years - you must ask questions for 5 years and if people don't answer you - they will be jailed. That is RTI
- Panchayati Raj, RTI, Right to Food will benefit India
- Opposition asks what Congress did in 8 years
- They don't understand the poor. Nothing is bigger than hunger. We gave people Right to Food.
- They talk of growth rate. The pace at which we have grown, has never happened before.
- Common man as never benefitted more
- They spoke of India Shining in 2004. You asked them to make way for Congress. The same happened in 2009
- Everyone said Congress will lose. Congress returned
- It's simple. If you want to win elections, empower the poor
- They don't go to the poor, don't communicate with them. They hold pressers in front of media