Gandhi accuses BSP legislators of using Centre's flagship programme for personal gains

Shravasti, Nov. 25 (ANI): Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Friday hit out at the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Government in Uttar Pradesh for using the Central Government's flagship rural employment programme for personal gains and for amassing illegitimate wealth.

Criticising chief minister Mayawati, Gandhi accused the ruling legislators and other senior officials of using the scheme for the fulfilment of their vested interests.

"Uttar Pradesh benefited from MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), ministers benefited, officials benefited, but the poor and the backward class people did not benefit," he told a gathering here.

Gandhi said that the poor people failed to reap the benefits from the scheme as their job cards are being snatched away from them following which are left unemployed.

"Go to any of the villages in Uttar Pradesh and ask the villagers whether MNREGA scheme is operational or not, the poor villagers will reply that they are not being given the job cards. When they receive the job cards, the head of the village snatches away the cards," said Gandhi.

"The ministers are making money out of that scheme. Ministers, who used to have small houses earlier, are now having 10-15-20 palaces. But the poor people do not benefit from the MNREGA scheme," he added.

Gandhi further said the poor farmers, who protest over the forcible acquisition of their lands, are branded as Maoists and are gunned down.

"Farmers lands are being forcefully acquired. And when the farmers are demanding right compensation for their land, then the Uttar Pradesh Government is using bullets to threaten them. People were killed in Bhatta Parsaul. Nobody visited the place, but when I visited the victims, the government officials said to me that these are not farmers living here, they are Maoists," he said.

In May this year, the twin villages of Bhatta-Parsaul witnessed violent clashes between the police and farmers, who protested against the land acquisition policies of the Uttar Pradesh Government.

Denouncing the opposition's slogan of 'India Shining', Gandhi said once those leaders visit the rural areas, they would find out that India was not shining as the rural population lived in deplorable condition.

"In 2004, our opposition parties came out with the slogan of India Shining. Why was such a slogan formed because they do no visit the house of poor villagers, they don't talk to them, they do not eat food in the house of a poor man and they do no even drink the contaminated water from the wells in the rural areas, that is the reason they are saying that India is shining," said Gandhi.

"India is progressing, but India is not yet shining. India is not shining in villagers and rural areas," he added.

Rahul Gandhi, who is leaving no stone unturned in giving a tough fight to the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the forthcoming state assembly elections, began his five-day long 'Jan Sampark Abhiyan' programme from Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday, to garner support for the Congress.

The Uttar Pradesh elections, which are scheduled in the early part of 2012, is being seen as a stepping-stone for the Congress Party to establish a firm political base in India's fifth largest and most populous state before the 2014 general elections. (ANI)