The Hindu : Front Page : It turns into poll campaign, virtually

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 30, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

It turns into poll campaign, virtually

Special Correspondent

Rahul Gandhi addresses Youth Congress rally; leaders make a slew of promises

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

VYING FOR SPACE: AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi (with Mysore peta) with senior Congress leaders at State Youth Congress rally in Bangalore on Saturday.

BANGALORE: The Youth Congress rally addressed by All India Congress Committee general secretary Rahul Gandhi here on Saturday before winding up his five-day “Discover India” State tour was virtually a launch of the party’s poll campaign with leaders making a slew of promises to the people.

Although Mr. Gandhi did not make any reference to elections or criticise his political opponents, the Congress leaders used the platform for making speeches reminiscent of election campaign. At a well attended rally at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee grounds in Byatarayanapura, Mr. Gandhi said that people of Karnataka needed a “stable government with a vision”. They needed a government that could implement pro-poor schemes such as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. KPCC president M. Mallikarjun Kharge promised that the Congress would provide houses to 15 lakh poor families in five years if voted to power, rice at Rs. 3 a kg and continue the farm loan scheme. It would provide allowance to the unemployed educated youth.

He took exception to the criticism by political opponents that Mr. Gandhi was in Karnataka for election campaigning.

He said Mr. Gandhi’s visit had nothing to do with elections and it was finalised two months ago. KPYCC president Krishna Byre Gowda, who accompanied Mr. Gandhi on his five-day tour, presented him a Mysore peta (turban) and a sword on behalf of the youth Congress. Mr Gandhi launched the State Youth Congress’s monthly newsletter Karnataka Yuva Sandesha on the occasion.

A dream for children

Mr. Gandhi said he had a dream for children of Karnataka. “My dream is that no child in Karnataka, irrespective of its economic, community and religious background, should feel that it is lonely or orphan.”

Mr. Gandhi recalled his visit to an orphanage in the State where a child sang a sad song with the lyrics: “I do not have anybody in life. Nobody cares for me. What mistake did I commit to be made an orphan?”

Mr. Gandhi said: “I told the child I am your brother. How can you be an orphan when I am here?” He said he did not want any child in the State to sing such a song or have such lonely feelings.

He hailed the people of Karnataka for showing the country the way forward. “I thank the people of Karnataka, who have been able to look at the world with confidence and made the country proud of their achievement.” He said any of his visitors from abroad would definitely make reference to Karnataka’s achievement. This success was the success of youth and hard work, he said. “I have shaken hands with thousands of people of Karnataka in the last few days. By touching their hands, whether they are farmers, labourers or software engineers, I could feel one thing common — they are all hard workers,” he said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page