Lucknow, September 25: The Congress on Friday advised Uttar Pradesh government to strengthen its intelligence network, which proved to be a failure during the recent surprise visit of the party general secretary Rahul Gandhi to rural areas of eastern UP.
Congress Legislature Party leader, Pramod Tewari today here said, “It is a glaring example of the working of the UP police and its intelligence network that a high profile SPG protectee moves about in districts and it has no information about his movement.”
“If this is the case with an SPG protectee, then one can only pray for the state,” Tewari said adding that law and order and the working of the police network cannot be improved merely by changing the DGP.
“As SPG looks after his security, it was informed about the visit two to three days in advance,” Tewari said on the complaint lodged by the UP government that it was kept in dark over Rahul’s visit.
UPCC president, Rita Bahuguna Joshi who was also present said that Rahul’s surprise visit was a warning not only to the state administration, but also to the Congress leaders.
“Even the local MPs were not informed, as he wanted to reach out to the common people and take stock of the reality of the welfare and development schemes, as well as the role of the administration and the Congressmen,” Joshi said.
“Rahul Gandhi’s efforts to establish a direct dialogue with the common people is also being emulated by other leaders who have also started moving out,” Joshi said.
To a question on the delay in announcement of candidates for the coming by-elections on 12 assemblies and one Lok Sabha seat, she said that the state unit has sent the names to the party president and a decision was expected in a day or two.
On whether the party would field new entrants in the elections, she said, “Those who have joined the party recently including leaders with good support base along with the senior partymen have been given importance in the orgnisation.”
She however clarified that those joining the party lately had been doing so unconditionally.
–Agencies