Thaindian News

Lucknow, Nov 23 (IANS) With his political opponents dubbing his visits to villages and sharing of meals with the poor as a “drama”, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Wednesday said in Uttar Pradesh that he would “continue the drama throughout the life”.

“Every time whenever I mingle with the poor, visit their houses and share meals with them, senior leaders while sitting inside TV studios mock at me…They call such things a drama of Rahul Gandhi,” he told a gathering in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district, some 240-km from Lucknow.

“If mixing with the people to understand their problems and issues affecting them is a drama, I will continue with this drama throughout my life. I am not here to win elections…I am not going any where…I am here to change Uttar Pradesh,” Gandhi said while giving his third speech of the day.

Gandhi Tuesday embarked upon a five-day mass contact programme ahead of the state assembly polls next year.

“The opposition leaders call me a kid, who has no information about politics,” said Gandhi.

“Yes, I don’t have that much information, but in the seven years of my political career I have very well understood one thing that there is no question in the entire country for which the people of the country don’t have an answer.”

“The poor, the farmers and the labourers have an answer to every question,” said Gandhi, citing the changes made by the central government for the implementation of a package for the weavers.

“A delegation of weavers only told us that the package should not be implemented through the help of co-operative societies that are governed by the state government. The weavers feared they would not get a single penny if the societies were involved for implementing the package,” said Gandhi.

He said he would continue to strive for a better understanding of public problems.

“Those confining themselves to speeches only must start visiting homes of the poor, share food with them and water from their well even if they get an upset stomach,” said Gandhi.

“I have suffered indigestion on several occasions, but I will continue to drink the water that is consumed by the public. After all, it helps in understanding the problems that the poor have to face every day,” said Gandhi.

Accusing the Mayawati government of working against the farmers, Gandhi said: “Whenever a farmer shouts over the forcible land acquisition, he is shot at…Farmers were shot at in Tappal…Also in Bhatta-Parsaul…Atrocities were committed on the women there.”

“It was the Congress party that fought for the farmers…Come what may, we would continue to do it…We will together work for an all-round development of the state,” said Gandhi.

Owing to his hectic schedule, Gandhi preferred taking his lunch in the fields of a village in Bahraich.

“He had his lunch in the Dhanuali village under a tree…We all shared the meal in the sugarcane fields. Such an act by Rahul Gandhi clearly gives the message that he doesn’t hesitate in experiencing the life of the common man,” said Congress state spokesperson Akhilesh Pratap Singh.