Rahul rips BJPs terror talk

Visiting the state for the first time in the run-up to the May 7 Lok Sabha polls,Rahul addressed public meetings in Barmer,Banswada,Jhalawar and Jaipur constituencies on Sunday,with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot by his side.

In each constituency,he took every opportunity to slam the BJPs stance on terror while lauding the UPA Governments schemes and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. His meeting in Jhalawar was meant to turn the tide the Congresss way,where Rajes son Dushyant and first-timer Urmila Jain are locked in a tough battle.

He took a dig at the BJP for raking up the issue of terrorism,saying it was the previous NDA regime that sent out a wrong message by freeing three terrorists during the Kandahar hijacking. Jaswant Singh was sent to Kandahar. Wahan unhone haath jode He went there with folded hands, Rahul said in Jaipur,describing how the terrorists released in exchange for hostages included Masood Azhar who masterminded the Parliament attack. When they released the terrorists,they sent a message that the Indian Government would bend8230;. What would the terrorists think? That the Indian Government had to send a minister. Woh haath jod raha hai he has come with folded hands. What message was sent? he said. However,he added,the Manmohan Singh Governments diplomacy forced Pakistan to admit the involvement of its citizens in the Mumbai terror attacks.

He lauded the achievements of the UPA Government for the welfare of the common man but conceded that there had been no change in the system since the days of his father,the late Rajiv Gandhi,when only 10 per cent of the governments money reached the people. Pointing out the increase in allocation to states during the UPA regime,he said,There is no dearth of money. The only deficiency is that it is not reaching you. My father,Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi,used to say that only 10 paise out of Re 1 reaches the people. Today we send Rs 10,but even now only 10 paise reaches the people. This is what we have to change, he said.

Referring to BJP PM candidate L K Advanis criticism of the Government for not acting to retrieve black money stashed away in foreign banks,he said,It is true that a lot of Indias money is in Swiss banks. It has to be recovered. But the money did not reach there just two weeks before the election. They talk about the money in Swiss banks but wouldnt tell you about corruption in the Vasundhara Raje Government.

Taking a dig at opposition parties for criticising his decision to host British Foreign Secretary David Milliband in Amethi recently to show him a slice of rural India,he said,Rahul Gandhi was not showing poverty in India. He was showing the strength of the poor in India.