People should discard caste, religion based polity: Sheila

Kanpur, July 27 (UNI) The experiments of caste and religion-based governments in Uttar Pradesh has failed and now the people should decide their fate accordingly in the 2007 elections, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said here today.

Addressing a meeting after unveiling the statue of a senior Congress leader Sitaram Dixit, she said after 1989, the people of Uttar Pradesh had voted for parties whose policies were based on caste and religion. ''Thus, uncertainty prevailed that blocked the development of the state,'' she added.

''Congress is the only party which took the cross-section of people together and accelerated development,'' she said adding, the country cannot prosper if the development of Uttar Pradesh is ignored.'' Ms Dikshit asserted if states like Uttar Pradesh remained undeveloped, the Centre could not fulfill its dream of taking India among the developed nations.

She called upon the people to assess the works undertaken by the Congress, BJP, BSP and SP governments in the state and vote for the party, which could deliver. ''The criteria of caste and religion will only ruin the economy,'' she added.

Highlighting the developmental works initiated by her government in Delhi, Ms Dikshit said the Congress returned to power twice because her regime developed the national capital into an international city.

''All kind of amenities were provided to people, while on the other hand the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh has lagged much behind,'' she said. She blamed power crisis for the slack rate of industrial development in the state. She invited people for the August 8 Congress rally at Phoolbagh Ground here, which will be addressed by congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Earlier, Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal said the country achieved independence due to ''the dedicated efforts of Congress leaders.'' ''They sacrificed their lives for the sake of our freedom and the coming generation should get inspiration from their deeds,'' he added.

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