Visit to Dalit homes: Rahul counters BSP

For the first time,Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Monday hit back at UP Chief Minister Mayawati...

For the first time,Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Monday hit back at UP Chief Minister Mayawati,who has been making fun of his visits to houses of Dalits. In an apparent reference to the BSPs election symbol,Rahul said the Mayawati Government gobbled up everything granted by the Centre to the state.

Addressing an election rally here,Rahul said,The BSP Government here says that we have done nothing. I must tell you that we sent Rs 165 crore to the state Government but nothing reached the poor and Dalits. There is a big elephant in Lucknow which eats up everything.

Only two days back,Mayawati at a public meeting in Sitapur had accused the Centre of not helping the state Government. She has also repeatedly made fun of Rahul Gandhis visit to the houses of Dalits.

The rally was held near the shrine of Sufi saint Waris Ali Shah,popularly known as Dewa Sharif,and the gathering included a large number of Muslims. Rahuls sister Priyanka was also there,but she did not speak.

The Congress has fielded retired civil servant P L Punia from Barabanki which is a reserved seat. Punia once served as principal secretary to Mayawati. The BSP has repeated its sitting MP Kamla Prasad Rawat,the Samajwadi Party Ram Sagar who had lost in 2004 and the BJP Ram Naresh Rawat.

Rahul said the BSP leader made fun of his visits to the houses of Dalits and the poor,and asked why he was doing this.

Today I will tell them. To me,the real India lives in the huts of the Dalits and poor and I fight for this India, he said and added,Let them make fun of me.

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Regarding Mayawatis allegations that NREGA had not helped the poor,Rahul said,I have lived in Bundelkhand for four days and let me tell you that the scheme has not reached the people. We had sent the money,but your Government is sitting on it and then they say Uttar Pradesh has a Government of the Dalits.

Attacking Mayawatis love for parks,Rahul said,A common man,a Dalit,a tribal will not benefit from parks. The stones of the parks wont give you food.