Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi launched a frontal attack on Opposition, saying they only talk about the poor, but never bother to hold their hands or interact with them.
He further said that Opposition leaders have shunned the underprivileged altogether. “Congress is the party for the poor; our Opposition does not understand the problems of the poor. They don’t go to their homes and hold their hands or even discuss their problems. And then, they speak of India Shining and lose the elections. They lost in 2004, 2009 and will lose again in 2014,” said Gandhi, while addressing Valmiki Mahasammelan organised by the Bhagwan Valmiki Foundation at Talkatora Stadium on Tuesday.
“If you want to win the elections, go to the homes of the poor and hold their hands, understand their problems and then expect to win the elections,” said Gandhi.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Congress MP from Karnal Dr Arvind Sharma, Bollywood singer Udit Narayan, Delhi SC/ST Commission Chairman Harnam Singh were also present. On the occasion, Valmiki Rashtriya Gaurav Samman was conferred on Dikshit by Gandhi.
The Sammelan was organised by Chairman of National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Dr Rajkumar Verka and Chairman of the Delhi Commission for Safai Karamcharis Harnam Singh. The Valmiki community is a traditional Congress voter.
lambasting the Opposition, Gandhi said that when the Government spoke about the right to food, employment, education, “the Opposition asked how these programmes would be funded. We have shown them.”
Terming the Right to Information (RTI) Act as a tool in the hands of the common man to fight against corruption, the Gandhi scion said, “The Congress party has given RTI. But why have we given thisIJ We have given this because every citizen has the right to question the Government.”
This has brought to fore the corruption that was taking place behind closed doors, he said, adding, “We have made your hands strong.” He said for many years, lakhs of people were forced to sleep on an empty stomach, but now times have changed.
“There is no need for the slogan which was common during the days of Indira Gandhi, Aadhi roti khaayenge, Congress ko laayenge. Now the slogan is Bhar pet khana khaayenge, Congress ko laayenge,” he said.
Terming the Valmiki community as the backbone of the Congress, Gandhi said, “There is need to bring the community forward, especially the youth and they should also be given more representation in State Assemblies and the lok Sabha.”
He said he wants to take the Congress to the days of Mahatma Gandhi, when there were around 40-50 Prime Ministerial candidates.
“We need such a leadership in the Congress. For this, we will have to give a helping hand to Valmiki and other backward communities. It may take some time, but once it’s done, the Congress will win 360 seats (in lok Sabha) and for that, we will have to work,” Gandhi said.
“We should also have to have 40-50 Prime Ministerial and Chief Ministerial candidates in the party and it would be done only when we bring to fore those left behind,” he added. Apologising to the community involved in manual scavenging, Gandhi said, “We have brought the Manual Scavenging Bill, but its name is erroneous. The Bill is about Right to Self-Respect.”
Earlier, speaking on the occasion, Dikshit stated that her Government as well as the party is concerned about the poor, including the Valmiki community.
“We have worked for the welfare of all sections of society and have a social bonding with them. We can ensure prosperity and progress of the country by providing opportunities to every section,” she said.
Dikshit claimed that her Government has put an end to the practice of manual scavenging in Delhi.“We have accorded status of skilled and semi-skilled workers to Safai Karamcharis apart from commissioning an exclusive residential free school for wards of SCs,” said Dikshit, highlighting several schemes related to the uplift of Scheduled Castes.