I want to tell you that no one can suppress people’s voice.
You have an aam aadmi government at the Centre. We do the politics of giving rights to the people. We gave the people their right to job which guaranteed minimum 100 days job to the rural poor. This benefitted crores of people in our country.
Now we have implemented the right to food. We are going to provide 35kg of food grains to the entire poor families in the country at Rs. 1 per kg. We have already implemented this law at several places, though UP government has not yet done so. There were people who work hard every day but sleep in hunger. Those days are over now. From now onwards, no one in our country will live hungry. No parents will have to be worried that their children will have to sleep with empty stomach. We have thus now made a new slogan “have stomach full of rotis; vote for Congress”.
We have a PDS system here. But unfortunately about 20-25% food grains is stolen in PDS. Congress therefore thought that this will end if we give the people their right to food. So Congress gave the people a right and guarantee through food security bill.
But, what is happening in Uttar Pradesh? When we, the Congress Government, guarantees 35kg of food grains every month to the poor, across the country, the state government in Uttar Pradesh says that it would not implement this important scheme here in UP till 2014 elections. They are afraid that if it implements food security law brought in by the Congress in UP, the people in large numbers will vote for the Congress party and the ruling party here will face a huge defeat. So, I want to tell you to pressurise the state government in UP; because now it is your right to get good. The Congress government at the Centre has given you right to food and the entire people in UP must be able to avail its benefit. So you must demand it from the state government; this is your fight; this is the fight of the Congress party too.
I want to share some the local issues here. While all other regions are moving forward, and industries are prospering, here in Rampur the wood and plywood factories are facing shut down. Common people are suffering. We want more industries to come up and want no factories must be closed down.
I want to tell you something about Congress party. The vision of Congress party is the vision of India. We practice the politics for the welfare of aam aadmi and the poor. We talk about people’s rights and we want inclusive growth.
While Congress believes in unity, there are some parties who indulge in divisive politics. They try to create division among communities and make them fight each other. I went to Muzaffarnagar where Hindus and Muslims died in the riots..I spoke to both communities; they told me that there is no enemity between them. Politicians have created this rift. They told me that the riots were orchestrated by the people who want to divide people. No politician dies in riots, the common man does. No political leader died in Muzaffarnagar. Poor people, journalists and the person who fight for common people died there. No one had any benefit. This is not the politics of the Congress. We want everyone to live in peace and talk development.
Only the women and the youth in Uttar Pradesh can bring in positive changes in the state. You have witnessed both SP and BSP regimes. Could you experience any development? There has been zero development in Uttar Pradesh - whether it was the SP or the BSP. This state can surge ahead only if we talk about growth and brotherhood and only Congress party can do so. If UP has to be truly transformed, you need to vote and bring the Congress to power.
Can there be a better and noble service than ensuring food to entire people? It is the Congress party which brought this Food Security bill. But the opposition tried to halt the bill for three years. But Manmohan Singh Ji and Sonia Ji worked with determination to get the bill passed.
Now I want to tell something about Land Acquisition bill. Few years back, some farmers were killed in Aligarh and Bhatta-Parsaul. We came to you and joined you in your battle. When farmers were killed here, we promised that we would protect them. When the state Govt acquired lands of the poor farmers, they never sought your consent. But whenever the lands of rich people were to be acquired, the government gave proper market price for their lands. But no one asked the poor farmers when the government acquired their lands. This was the situation. I promised that Congress will fight with you and surely win it. It took time, but the promise was fulfilled. We fought and we made sure that the Bill was passed. The opposition tried to play all tricks to block this Bill; but finally the Bill was passed by the Parliament and I want to tell you clearly that the farmers will be the biggest beneficiaries.
We will continue with our efforts to serve the poor. We will continue to fight for the poor, youth, farmers and aam aadmi. I want to tell the women in front of me that all those states achieved a boost in development where women are empowered – whether it is Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala or Andhra Pradesh. Only Congress talks about eomen empowerment. That is why we implemented reservation for women in Panchayats. We will implement the same in Assembly and Parliament also. These women, who are sitting in front of me, do not talk much but they play a great role in nation building.
A woman came to me and said you have given us 50% reservation in Panchayats - now when are you doing the same for Parliament and Assembly? I told her if you get 50% in Parliament and Assemblies, the rest 50% you'll get by controlling your husband - so women will have 100% reservation. Without any doubts I want to reiterate that only the women and the youth can transform our country.
The reality is that the people’s voice is not being heard properly by the government or the bureaucracy. It is mainly because the doors of the political parties are closed for aam aadmi. I want to change this; I want to give voice to the common people. Why Rajiv Gandhi brought Panchayati Raj; to empower rural masses. But even this Panchayati Raj system could not empower the rural poor in the required manner.
Situation has been changing now. Congress party wants to empower people. We gave you Right to Job, Right to food and Right to Information. RTI is a big tool to empower the citizen. Open the closed doors of the government and bureaucracy and put the common man there. Let people know what is happening behind closed doors. Empower common people with laws like RTI. The people - – the youth, the women have the strength. Politicians and bureaucrats should be scared of amm aadmi.
Politicians must be accountable to the people. People should keep on asking questions to the government and government must answer them and if anyone fails to give proper answer to the people, he should be put behind bars. This is the concept behind RTI and Congress gave that power to you.
Congress wants to give more and more rights to the people. Opposition asks us what we have done in the past eight years. They do not realise the pains of the poor. Hunger is the biggest challenge before us and we gave you right to food. Country achieved maximum economic growth under the UPA Government. The common people could get enormous benefits under the UPA Government.
In 2004, BJP introduced a slogan India Shining. Everyone said Congress will lose; but Congress returned. People routed the BJP and voted for Congress. In 2009 also people reposed faith in Congress party. I want to tell clearly that if we want to win elections, we must serve the poor. But these opposition parties do not go to the poor, do not talk to them. They do not realise the people’s issues. They only talk big things to media persons.
Please note that in 2014 also Congress is going to win. We will again from a government that works for youth, women and aam aadmi. We will again transform the country with the help of the people and by empowering the underprivileged.
Thank you.
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