Rahul asks people to join hands with Congress to revive UP

Mawana, Meerut, Mar 18 (UNI) Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi today hit the campaign trail in poll-bound Western Uttar Pradesh invoking the past history of the state when ''it led the nation in education, health, infrastructure and governance'' and asked the people ''to join hands with the Congress to usher in a new era of dedicated development, stability and peaceful society.'' Addressing half-a-dozen roadside public meetings between Muradnagar in Ghaziabad and Mawana in Meerut as part of his three-day roadshow, he blamed the regional parties for ''dividing the people on the basis of caste, creed and religion'' adding that ''the present state of affairs was due to the myopic policies of leaders of such parties who were not bothered about national but personal interest.'' All through his public address, his thrust was on the ''youth who form 60 per cent of the state population, stating that he was shoulder to shoulder with them in bringing them out from the present day rut.'' He called upon party workers to ''strengthen the Congress' hand to get out of the present day rut of corruption and maladministration.'' In his second and final public meeting of the day here, Mr Gandhi repeated his appeal to the people mostly to the youth to come forward in joining the ''Congress to bring about perceptible transformation in UP and end more than a decade and a half of inconsequential rule which has brought the state far behind in the queue of developed economy.'' He repeated his call to ''bring out the common man from years of corrupt rule and inefficent administration.'' Mr Gandhi later sat on the roof of his vehicle and shook hands with the people who had gathered along the roadside to greet him.

Ample security arrangements had been made from Muradnagar onwards to Mawana by the state administration. Along with the state police, the Rapid Action Force and the bomb squad and the riot cell of the state police 'vajra' were also seen escorting the entourage. A medical van was also part of the security arrangements for any emergency.

Mr Gandhi was greeted by curious onlookers at most town headquarters and posters and banners of him plastered all over the wayside.

At most places, the crowd was pretty thin though at certain pockets a rousing welcome was given to the Nehru-Gandhi family scion.

Everywhere the common man, shopkeepers, students and people from all walks of life joined the crowd which gathered to have a peek at him.

Earlier, Mr Gandhi called on the people of the state, especially the youth, to ''help his party restore the state to its prime position it enjoyed under the Congress.'' ''Uttar Pradesh -- where our historic struggle for freedom began and ended -- once showed the way to the rest of the country, but now languishes behind other states,'' he said, addressing a public meeting, attended by four to five thousand people, at a local college ground in Muradnagar.

Asking the people if they were happy and content with their lot and receiving 'nos' in return, Rahul noted the state received ''a large amount of funds from the Centre, but no development was taking place in the state for the last 15 years, ever since the Congress relinquished power.'' ''Youths comprise 60 per cent of the population of the state and I call on them to march shoulder-to-shoulder with me to revive the fortunes of the state,'' he said in his brief address.

A prominent worker of the party in the area tied a pink turban on Rahul's head as well as presented him a sword and a conch shell.

UPCC president Salman Khurshid, Hapur MP Surendra Prakash Goel and Rajya Sabha MP Rashid Alvi were also present on the dais.

Rahul reached the venue almost three hours behind schedule, having made three to four stops en route to meet the local residents. He was warmly received by the people, who eagerly awaited his arrival and rushed forward to garland him. At his first stop after leaving Ghaziabad town, he was presented a ''hookah'' by the people waiting to meet him.

The young Gandhi, who kicked off his party's campaign for the crucial elections to the state assembly, entered Uttar Pradesh from Indirapuram, where a modest crowd was present to receive him, even though he was two hours behind schedule.

Welcomed by Mr Khurshid, and activists of the NSUI, Youth Congress and the Purvanchal Jan Chetna Samiti, an association formed to safeguard the rights of people hailing from the eastern parts of the state, Rahul went around the 100 to 150-strong gathering, shaking hands with those present but did not address them.

Seated in a Land-Cruiser, being driven by family friend and former Union Minister Satish Sharma, the Amethi MP then led his cavalcade on to Muradnagar.

UNI