Poverty will be stamped out of India: Lalu

Gwalior, Mar 6 (UNI) Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad today claimed that poverty would be stamped out of the country if the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government remained in power for a decade.

''If a cowherd can convert the country's development lifeline -- the Railways -- into a profit-making venture, then we can definitely wipe out poverty in ten years,'' he quipped while addressing a poll rally in favour of Congress candidate Ashok Singh on the last day of canvassing for the March 8 parliamentary byelection here.

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of tom-tomming ''fake Hindutva,'' the visiting political leader added that BJP tenures were chequered with communal riots.

''Post-independence, the Congress lifted the downtrodden and gave them positions in government. The UPA government, which encourages secularism, is doing good work. Without raising passenger and freight charges, I secured a profit to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore for the Railways this fiscal and that figure will be Rs 71,000 crore in the next fiscal,'' he claimed.

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