Invoking the memory of its PCC chief killed in the Maoist attack at Darbha earlier this year,Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi Saturday said that he needed 500 Nand Kumar Patels to throw out thieves BJP. Addressing a rally in Patels constituency Kharasiya,from where his son Umesh Patel is now contesting,Rahul said there are two kinds of leaders,those who want to become MLA or chief minister,and those who want to work for the people. I met Patel on 30-40 occasions. Not even once did he say he wanted to become the chief minister. I want not one but 500 Nand Kumar Patels who can throw out the BJP,these thieves,from here, he said. Later,at a rally in Raipur,he accused the BJP of double-speak on terrorism and said Maoist violence had reached its peak under the partys government in Chhattisgarh. The Raipur rally was being keenly watched to see the numbers Rahul would draw sin the same stadium where two days earlier BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had addressed a nearly 6,000 strong gathering. Rahuls meeting drew a couple of thousand people more,but the stadium was still only half full. The BJP talks of terrorism,but there is so much terror and violence in Chhattisgarh, the Congress vice-president said. I recently returned from J&K,and there is more violence in Chhattisgarh than it is there. Still they say that the Congress does not fight terrorism. Our entire leadership was killed. Our leader,who emerged from the ground. he was killed. His son killed. This state has maximum Maoist-affected districts,still the BJP tells us that we do not fight terrorism. They travel to other states and talk terrorism but dont utter a word on terrorism here. Rahul added: They talk of development,but as long as people live under fear and violence prevails,there cannot be any development. He also accused the BJP of looting the state and indulging in high corruption. He pointed that the Chhattisgarh chief secretary had made allegations against a minister and alleged that the Raman Singh government had sold land and coal blocks to industrialists against the interests of people. Their development is for a selective few. If you are a tribal or Dalit,forget about development, Rahul said. PM campaigns in Mizoram Aizawl: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday campaigned for the Congress party in Mizoram which goes to polls on November 25. Addressing a rally here,Singh promised to launch a new housing scheme for rural population. Urging Mizo youths to vote for the Congress,he said efforts to promote sports would be taken further forward so that sportsperson would do India proud in international tournaments. PTI
