Outrage over Rahul’s ‘begging’ remarks

“It is really sad that Rahul Gandhi does not know the difference between hard labour and begging. People from Uttar Pradesh who migrated to places like Maldives and Fiji had started out as labourers but are now running those countries,” BJP leader Uma Bharti told reporters.

At a rally in Phulpur,Rahul had said the people of UP have to beg in Maharashtra as they do not find employment in their home state.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar also attacked the Congress leader,saying he should introspect and seek within his party the reasons why people from UP migrated to other states.

“We strongly condemn this insulting statement of Rahul Gandhi…. The economic policies pursued by the Congress have deprived the youth of this country of their right to work. UP and Bihar were ruled by Congress and their supporting parties for more than 50 years. The Congress is responsible for keeping UP and Bihar backward,” Javadekar said.

In Allahabad,activists of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha burnt Rahul Gandhi’s effigy on Tuesday.

“Rahul Gandhi has insulted people of UP by calling them beggars. The people of the state do move out to earn a living but they have never begged,” an activist of the BJP youth wing said.

Shouting anti-Rahul slogans,the agitators tore down posters and cut-outs of the Congress leader and set his effigy on fire at the Civil Lines crossing here.

At Unnao,the national vice-president of the party,Kalraj Mishra,said,“Rahul’s statement that people of UP should not go out of the state indicates his divisive mentality.”

In Rampur,BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters that Rahul’s statement was an “insult” to the people of the state.

“Rahul’s statement is an insult to the entire lot of electorate of UP,” he said.

Congress General Secretary’s remark has attracted criticism from other parties,too. Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav on Tuesday alleged that Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi was not capable of doing anything for development of the country as well as Uttar Pradesh.

Referring to the alleged beating of a party worker for showing black flags to Gandhi in Allahabad on Monday,Yadav said no one has a right to take law into one’s hands.

Meanwhile,in Chandigarh,Shiromani Akali Dal has condemned the statement of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asking UP youths not to go to Punjab and Maharashtra to earn their livelihood.

The party said congress leader’s statement was a “nefarious attempt (by Congress) to disrespect” the hardworking labour class of UP and aimed at creating a regional divide in the country for petty political gains.

(PTI inputs from Allahabad,Unnao)