Rahul promises to fight terrorism

AICC GENERAL secretary Rahul Gandhi tried to strike a chord with his audience in Udhampur as he addressed a rally, promising a fight against terrorism and poverty, reports Arun Joshi.

AICC GENERAL secretary Rahul Gandhi on Friday tried to strike a chord with his audience in Udhampur as he addressed a rally, promising a fight against terrorism and poverty.

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In a measured speech, which barely lasted 10 minutes, Rahul spelled out the Congress’ resolve to fight terrorism as he talked about the attacks in Mumbai, “Terror attacks have been on in Mumbai for the past two days. Today, too, there is some activity,” he said.

“You have lived through terrorism, fought and defeated it,” he said to loud cheer at Subash Sports Stadium, where his grandmother and late prime minister Indira Gandhi had last addressed a public meeting in June 1983. “I only came to see him, he’s like his grandmother,” said Mohamnmad Rafiq, a farmer from Ramnagar, a town 39km north of Udhampur. The crowd was thin but grew as more and more people came “just to see Rahul”.

Referring to Ghulam Nabi Azad’s tenure as CM, Rahul said the Congress had shown it can defeat terrorism and bring in development. “The BJP governments did nothing in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and now they’re saying they fought terrorism.”

Rahul was accompanied by Azad.