Mirzapur/ Bhadohi (UP), Nov 2: As Uttar Pradesh gears up for next year's Assembly polls, Rahul Gandhi today warned people against those indulging in caste politics and told them it was time a Congress government of the common man was voted to power in the state.
“While the earlier Samajwadi Party government indulged in looting public money in a hidden manner, the BSP government is doing the same openly,” the Congress General Secretary told a gathering of villagers (chaupal) from Vedpur in Bhadohi this afternoon as part of his mass contact programme.
Alleging that the voters were obliged by political parties with liquor worth Rs 500 at election time and were forgotten for the next five years, he asked them to wake up from their slumber or else the future of their children will be dark.
He said central government sends funds for development works but it cannot go to every village to oversee how it is being spent and asked them to realise the necessity of the “formation of a Congress government that cares for the common man in Uttar Pradesh.”
Making surprise visits to various villages and religious shrines in Bhadohi and Mirzapur districts on the second day of his unscheduled visit, Rahul Gandhi held chaupals at several places and took feedback from people.
Earlier at a chaupal in Koilara village under a Peepul tree, he gave a hearing to people asking them about their problems. Giving the reasons why people from UP went to Mumbai and Delhi, he said it was because the Congress governments in these states got them jobs.
Power in Uttar Pradesh has been in the hands of people who indulge in caste politics following which there had been no development in the state, he said, adding the funds coming from the Centre are not being properly utilised.
As Rahul's convoy left Koilara for its onward journey, he expressed his wish to have tea in Chandrapura village where it abrubtly came to a halt before a sweet shop and he walked over to the tea stall of a villager.
Over four “kulhars” of tea, he interacted with the locals and paid for it despite the shopowner insisting on offering his hospitality for free.
At another Chaupal (gathering of villagers) in the minority dominated Makhdoompur village he took the opportunity to visit a mosque under construction and asked the villagers to see which party or executing agency can properly work for development.
Rahul, who had had a night halt in Mirzapur, started his day with a visit to the famous Vindhvasisni temple and Dargah this morning.
He later visited the house of one Javed, who had died of drowning after allegedly jumping into river Ganga to dogde the police which chased him for playing cards and consoled his wife.
He also visited Hastinpur village in Chilh area and talked to villagers and sought to know their problems.
The AICC General Secretary had yesterday arrived on an unscheduled visit to Varanasi and had also visited parts of Chandauli and Mirzapur districts.
In the evening, he reached Akra village in Jaunpur district and held a chaupal in the Dalit basti.
