Lucknow:
Ruling BSP today attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for promising to change the face of Uttar Pradesh in five years, wondering if they have acquired "Aladdin's lamp" to make the turnaround.
"The star campaigners of Congress are promising to change the picture and future of the state, including Amethi, Rae Bareli and Sultanpur in five years' time but we fail to understand if the brother and sister (Rahul and Priyanka) have got hold of Aladdin's lamp to achieve it," state unit president of the BSP, Swami Prasad Maurya said.
"It is a big joke to promise development of these areas just before the elections by Priyanka Vadra...her concern for development of UP is irrelevant," Mr. Maurya said, adding that had she really been serious, she would have made a "constructive" contribution and helped in immediate sanction of the funds for various development schemes demanded by the state.
"The representatives of Gandhi-Nehru family are misleading the people that in case Congress forms government, funds of the development schemes would reach them," he said, adding that it indicated that Congress provides funds to the states where their party is in power.
Mr. Maurya said that MPs from these seats, including Priyanka, only give "darshan" to the people at election time and come "begging for votes". He added that they have nothing to do with the development of UP and for them the state is confined to Amethi and Rae Bareli where also they have done nothing.
On the allegations that UP has lagged behind during the past 22 years of non-Congress governments, Mr. Maurya said that they were baseless, misleading and false because, it has remained backward because of the 40 years of Congress rule.
Citing the demands of packages turned down by the Centre, he said that it was because of the "casteist" mentality of the Congress that "step brotherly" treatment was given to the state.
Alleging that Centre only concentrates on Amethi and Rae Bareli whereas there are 75 districts in UP, Mr. Maurya said that on its part, state has always helped whenever there had been any proposal for development scheme in these two districts.
Chief Minister Mayawati had demanded Rs 5,000 crore for restarting the closed industrial units of these districts but the Centre did not give a single rupee, he claimed.