Thaindian News

Lucknow, Nov 25 (IANS) Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Friday accused the Mayawati government of falsely branding poor farmers as Maoists, and criticised National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders for their `India Shining’ campaign.

“Whenever the poor farmers demand their rights and adequate compensation in lieu of their lands, the officers of Uttar Pradesh government brand them as Naxalites,” Gandhi told a gathering in Siddharthnagar district, some 250 km from Lucknow.

Terming the Mayawati regime as “anti-farmer”, Gandhi said: “The government is just snatching away the lands of poor farmers from Gorakhpur to Noida…And when farmers raise their voices against it, the government shoots at them…It (state government) did it in Tappal and in Bhatta Parsual.”

The Congress leader Tuesday embarked on a five-day mass contact programme ahead of the state assembly polls early next year.

Referring to his visit to the twin Bhatta-Parsaul villages which witnessed police-farmers clashes earlier this year, the Gandhi scion said: “When no one bothered to know the sufferings of the farmers, I went to meet the farmers there to know about their problems, the government officials told me they were not farmers, but Naxalites.”

Referring to the `India Shining’ slogan of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA, Gandhi said India was shining only “in the houses, cars, air-conditioned rooms of those leaders (who framed the slogan), but not in the small villages and hamlets”.

“Though India has witnessed a considerable progress, it is still not shining. India will shine only that day when there will not be a single poor person left in the country,” said Gandhi.

“India Shining slogan can only be framed by those who are not aware about the ground realities…Those who do not mingle with the masses, share meals with the poor and drink the dirty water from the wells of the poor.”

Stating that there has been “misuse of central government funds by Mayawati government”, Gandhi said: “There is no dearth of funds…We give adequate funds for the development of the state, but they are pocketed by BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) ministers and officers.”

“Those who used to have small houses, now possess 10-20 `mahals’ (residential palaces), but the funds meant for the poor and the needy are not reaching them,” said Gandhi without naming anyone.

Calling upon the people and the party workers to dethrone Uttar Pradesh Chief minister Mayawati in the next assembly polls, Gandhi said: “In just five years Congress will undertake developmental projects for Uttar Pradesh in a big way. And in 10 years, UP will undergo a sea change that would make the public here to think whether it’s the same state where they lived in.”

Gandhi accused the opposition of “trying to kill” the Land Acquisition Amendment Bill. “The opposition cannot oppose it publicly, hence it is making constant efforts to kill it…I assure you it will not happen…It will get passed by the parliament one day or other.”