Thaindian News

Naxalbari/Malbazar/Mothabari/Domkal (West Bengal), April 14 (IANS) In a scathing attack on West Bengal’s Left Front government, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Thursday said the 34 years of Communist rule had given the state mounting unemployment and highest school dropouts. He also said in order to get a job, one had to be a member of the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M).

On a whirlwind but storm-hit tour of the state ahead of the assembly polls, the Congress general secretary alleged that the LF had failed to set up industries, check unemployment or provide education and left unutilised substantial funds allocated by the central government.

He asserted that the Congress and Trinamool Congress, which are fighting the polls together, would end the CPI-M “misrule” and usher in development for all sections if voted to power.

Beginning his day with a well-attended meeting at Naxalbari of Darjeeling district, Gandhi travelled to Malbazar in Jalpaiguri, but had to cut short his address due to a thunderstorm lashing north Bengal.

“The elections are before you. It seems to me the CPI-M government will go after 34 years,” Gandhi said to tumultuous applause at Naxalbari, the cradle of the Naxalite movement in the country. However, the Gandhi scion made no mention of the left extremist terror, just as he skipped any reference to the problem of Congress dissidents being in fray in various seats.

“The sad thing is India is marching forward, but Bengal is lagging behind. The way industries should have come and employment should have increased, that did not happen,” Gadnhi said during a brief speech.

“This is because the state government first thinks about its organisation, its leaders and then about the people of Bengal. You have seen 34 years of CPI-M rule, you know the kind of progress in the state,” he said.

“Across India, school education is going fine. But in Bengal, you have the largest dropouts in India. Eighty percent of children drop out of school midway,” he said.

The Congress general secretary said industrialists were willing to go to states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, but loathe to come to West Bengal.

“Nobody wants to pump in money in Bengal. So there is no progress. There is no industry, there is only unemployment,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi said urban employment was 15 percent, while the figure in the rural areas stood at 10 percent. “Because of this, youths, who are the country’s future, are hit the hardest.”

He said his party and the Trinamool Congress, which are fighting the polls together, would ensure development if voted to power.

“The Trinamool and the Congress have a partnership here. We are fighting the polls together. After the elections we will give a government that will usher in development, reduce unemployment, bring children back to school and end CPI-M misrule,” Gandhi said.

“The government should work for the common people, for the future. We will give you a government which will return West Bengal to the path of growth,” he added.

Asserting that the Congress-Trinamool alliance will work for the poor and backward sections of West Bengal if voted to power, Gandhi Thursday slammed the LF for failing to utilise substantial funds allocated by the central government.

“The money the Delhi government (central government) is sending is the highest ever sent to Bengal. This money is being sent for various developmental projects, roads, education - for all programmes. But you don’t get the benefit of this money and this developmental works because these programmes are not being run well,” he said at Mothabari in Malda district.

“There is so much unemployment in this state. There are two criteria for the youths of Bengal to get an employment. One, you go out of this state or go out of country to get employment. And the other criterion is that you have to be a member of the CPI-M to get a job. The CPI-M party only talks about ideology, communism but has done nothing good for the state in past 34 years,” he said.

Gandhi, who was scheduled to fly to Mothabari for his third meeting, had to instead drive to Bagdogra airport in Darjeeling from Jalpaiguri due to the storm. From there he took a special flight to Purnia in Bihar and then flew by a chopper to Mothabari. Later in the afternoon, he addressed another scheduled rally at Domkol in Murshdiabad dsitrict, but had to cancel another meeting in the district at Farakka due to paucity of time.

West Bengal’s six-phased polls to elect a new 294-member assembly will be held April 18-May 10. The results will be declared May 13.