Third rally in four days, Rahul goes full throttle

Addressing his third election rally in the district in quick succession, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi changed his poll plank again at Dadri in Greater Noida on Sunday.

Addressing his third election rally in the district in quick succession, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi changed his poll plank again at Dadri in Greater Noida on Sunday.

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In Jewar on Thursday, he tried to play the farmer card and stoke the Bhatta fire. The next day in Noida, he spoke of urban issues and said the successive government in the last two decades had used Noida as a money-making machine.

At Dadri, largely a rural constituency with a vast area of Noida Extension and includes Mayawati's native village Badalpur, Rahul went back to land acquisition issues and came down heavily on the Mayawati.

Addressing a 10,000-strong crowd at Mihir Bhoj Inter College, Rahul also raised Muslim welfare issues because of the local demographics. He said huge funds meant for the welfare of Muslims had been misappropriated by the state government. He called some residents from the minority community from the audiences and asked whether they had received funds sent for them. The reply was in the negative.

He said, "Mayawati's elephant eats up all the funds meant for minorities and other welfare projects. Thousands of crores have been sent to the state government but beneficiaries still say they have not got anything."

He said only Congress policies were pro-farmers. "In the last 22 years of non-Congress governments rule, the state has been ruined. The BSP government only benefited rich builders and swelled own coffers through corruption."

He said, "Mulayam Singh was in power three times. Then he did nothing for Muslims. When we talk about reservation and other benefits for Muslims, Mulayam promises more. Muslims cannot believe him. BJP,BSP and SP are making absurd promises because they have no respect for the common people. We do not make any false promises. We say everybody's grievance will be heard sympathetically and redress of grievances done in minimum possible period," he said.

"In the Dadri belt, development has taken place only in Badalpur," said Samir Bhati, Congress candidate from Dadri.