Amethi, July 17: Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Friday lashed out at the Mayawati government for wasting thousands of crores of rupees in building statues and monuments related to BSP serving the political interests of her party.
“There is place for statues and elephants (BSP symbol) but there should also be space for development and electricity,” Gandhi said, in an apparent reference to the controversy over erection of memorials for Kanshi Ram and statues of Mayawati in different parts of the state, spending huge sums of public money
The Congress leader made this remark while addressing a gathering shortly after his arrival in his parliamentary constituency where he met his supporters in the backdrop of violent protests over power crisis in Amethi.
“The Mayawati government is not working in the best interest of its people. The situation in Uttar Pradesh is declining hence a Congress government is necessary to improve it,” he added.
He also assured his delighted supporters that the power crisis in the state can be resolved only by the Congress government and urged them to support his party in the next election.
Striking an emotional chord with his supporters, Rahul said, “Utmost development of Amethi always remains my top priority irrespective of what I do and where I go.”
However, he stopped short of making any comments on the recent face-off between Mayawati and Rita Bahuguna Joshi.
The visit assumes significance as it comes soon after the police action against demonstrators in Amethi and the arson in the house of UP Congress President Rita Bahuguna Joshi.
This was Rahul’s first visit to Amethi after the Lok Sabha polls. During his day-long tour, he is scheduled to hold assembly segment-wise meetings with the party workers and polling agents at Salon, Jagdishpur, Tiloi, Gauriganj and Amethi.
He is also expected to meet people injured in police lathicharge on July 13 during a protest against power crisis in the constituency and would inquire into the incident.
On July 13, police lathicharged residents, who were protesting against acute power crisis in the area, resulting in a clash in which several persons were injured.
Meanwhile, the agitated supporters of the Congress party today blocked the Moradabad-Delhi Express Highway to protest the state government’s action against Rita Bahuguna Joshi.
—-Agencies