Amethi, Uttar Pradesh: Firing a fresh salvo, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the Narendra Modi government of stalling development works and taking credit for things done during the previous UPA rule. On the second day of his three-day visit to his Lok Sabha constituency Amethi, he inaugurated 48 development works in Kasara village in Sangrampur tehsil. These include 44 roads in 13 blocks, two marriage halls and two passenger waiting halls.
Gandhi said when Congress was in power, the Opposition would allege that all money was going to Amethi and now they say nothing has been done here. "You must know all the things, because nowadays it has become a fashion for BJP government to stall development works and take credit for things done during UPA regime," he told a gathering of locals here. The 44-year-old MP said he believed whichever party comes to power, the government should represent all - farmers, labourers and weaker sections of the society. "I want to tell the government that it must not leave anyone behind, not even Amethi, because all are benefited from development," he said.
Giving an account of his MP Local Area Development Fund (MPLAD) funds, he said that in next year "works from Rs five crore will be done maintaining its quality." Again raising the issue of cancellation of a mega food park here, Gandhi alleged "politics of vendetta" by the BJP government at the Centre. "What was most necessary for Amethi and what we did was the mega food park, which could have benefited farmers. But last year BJP dashed this dream," he said.
Gandhi said whatever "revenge" the Centre has to take, it should take from him, but should not harm farmers and poor people by dabbling in politics of vendetta. "You snatched the mega food park project to be established in Amethi to take revenge from the farmers," he said addressing a public meeting in Kasara village. "I want to say that whatever revenge they want to take, they should take it from me. This benefits me and gives me more energy, but the government must not harm farmers and poor people," he said.
Referring to development works, Gandhi said, "We did a lot of work. We constructed six national highways and laid a number of roads. We got approval for Amethi-Unchahar railway line and got Amethi-Rae Bareli line doubled up." Continuing his attack on the Modi government, the Congress leader said, "if you like to take some revenge from me, please don't take it from farmers and the poor of Amethi."
Repeatedly raising the issue of food park which has become a bone of contention between Congress and the central government, he said "with establishment of this multi-crore ambitious project, not only the farmers of Amethi but farmers of neighbouring districts would have been benefitted as they could sell their products directly here and might take more benefit." Asking the central government not to "avoid anyone", he said "labourers and farmers give their blood to the nation and thus the government of India must be meant for all."
His retort came a day after Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur accused him of spreading "falsehood" and playing a "mega fraud" on the people, insisting that promoters of the project were pursuing a power plant in the name of food park. She had said the decision to deny any further extension to project was taken in March last year when Congress-led UPA was in power and asked Rahul to do his "homework".
"Neither Rahul nor his party was serious to set up the food park... Rahul is spreading falsehood," Kaur told reporters and questioned where the Congress leader was all the while since the project was cancelled in July last year.
Gandhi today garlanded the statue of his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in Amethi town and walked through the road to meet people, though less in number, who were waiting him. Some local residents got agitated today when Gandhi bypassed children waiting to greet him with flowers and garlands at Rajiv Gandhi crossing.
Earlier, Rahul began his engagements by meeting senior district level leaders led by Chandra Shekhar Mishra and Karan Singh at Munshiganj guest house where he stayed overnight. Local leaders asked Gandhi to oversee works being done in the constituency himself and said Priyanka Gandhi Vadra too should chip in.
The leaders claimed that Rahul assured them that he would look into the matter when he returns to Delhi, but maintained that he could not oversee all the works alone. Former Youth Congress general secretary Ashok Singh met Rahul and complained about MPLAD fund utilisation.
The Congress Vice President assured him that he would get the matter probed and take action accordingly. Earlier, members of BJP Yuva Morcha led by its district general secretary Sudhanshu Shukla burnt an effigy of Rahul at Rannvijay trisection and raised slogans.
