“Yeh Jawani hai Kurban, Rahul Gandhi Tere Naam”, chanted thousands of Congress leaders who gave a historic welcome to Congress vice-president by showering rose petal all along the 6.1 Kilometer long `Road-Show’ in lucknow on Friday.
The enthusiasm of the Congress leaders was so high that many of them who were waiting for a `huge garland’ of several quintal of flowers were upset when Rahul Gandhi just passed before them giving them no opportunity for garlanding. Interestingly all along the route, Rahul Gandhi kept waiving hand to acknowledge the people love for them. The families particularly females were seen peeping out of their windows just to have glimpse of the Congress Youth scion who was first time accompanied by chief ministerial candidate Sheila Dikshit, state president Raj Babbar, AICC general secretary Gulam Nabi Azad and all other senior Party leaders.
Meanwhile Rahul Gandhi while hitting out at Bharatiya Janta Party and Rastriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) claimed that the two organizations always worked to divide the society. ``BJP and RSS always worked to divide the people on Hindu and Muslim line”, alleged Rahul adding that as soon the elections were over, the Party start talking of `development’ but never done it. ``As soon as Narendra Modi became PM, he started talking of Development but the truth is before everyone. Not a single development work has been taken by NDA government which almost completed half of its five year term”, asserted Gandhi while addressing a huge gathering at Chowk on Friday evening. ``Now when Assembly elections are coming closure, BJP and it’s wing once again started fuelling communal hatred particularly in Western UP”, added Rahul.
Coming back to his agenda of ``Deoria se Dilli Kisan Yatra”, Rahul said that United Progessive Alliance government had waived off Rs 72,000 crore of farmers but Narendra Modi never talked of farmers. ``The people get nothing after Modi came to power except for a Selfie Machine’, quipped Rahul while making a jibe on Prime Minister. He said that Modiji tried to snatch land of the farmers but he took their fight in Bhatta Parsaul and foiled PM’s bid to snatch the land of the poors. He said that the land Acquisition Bill, MGNAREGA introduced by the UPA had not only benefited farmers, poor persons but also to small businessmen ``Modiji wanted that maximum financial budget should go to his industrialists friends but was not ready to see towards poor farmers or to waive off their loans”, Rahul added while calling the PM as anti-farmers. He said that farmers want nothing for `free’ but ready to work hard just if they were given right `due’ towards their produce and Congress will once again take it by raising the Minimum Support Price (MSP) if they came to power. ``Raj Babbar, Sheila Dikshit and even I assured you all that we will fulfill our promises within 10 days of formation of government in UP’, asserted Rahul while appealing the public to support Congress. ``Congress will tell Modiji about farmers and people plight once I will collect Mang Patra (Demand letter) from the people during by on-going Yatra”, added Rahul.
Rahul further said that to hide the going in Railways, Modi had merged Railway budget with general budget. ``I had no problem that Modiji had merged Railway Budget, but I asked the PM as well as Finance Minister to start a Kisan Budget, as the farmers needs top most concerned in the country as until they will progress, the country would not able to go ahead”, asserted Congress vice-president while adding that his Party would raise the demand of separate Farmers Budget during the coming session of Parliament.
Earlier in the day Rahul started his 2500 kilometer long Yatra from Rae Bareli and held a meeting at Bachrawa where Angadwadi and Asha activists met Congress vice-president. He entered lucknow where he was given a warm welcome during interaction with local leaders in Mohanlalganj. He also interacted with people during a welcome programme in Telibagh.