Rahul vows to utilise youth strength in UP's development

Gonda, Apr 20 (UNI) Vowing to utilise youth power in the state's development process, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi today said his party had given adequate representation to youths in ticket distribution for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.

''I regret their energies have not been utilised properly in the development of the state. The Congress does not make hollow promises. It is concerned about increasing the representation of youths in the state's development. Therefore, it has given tickets to a large number of youth candidates,'' Mr Gandhi told an election gathering here.

''It is unfortunate that successive governments in UP in the last 15 years have tied the hands of youths. This is despite the fact that they represent 60 per cent of the population in the state.'' Youths from UP were already playing a vital role in the development of Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra and Karnataka, he said, adding the time had come for them to play a major role in UP also.

Assuring youths that he would continue to work for their cause even after the ongoing assembly polls, Mr Gandhi claimed his only aim was to ''save the state from further destruction'' and ensure that law and justice prevailed.

Expressing concern over the ''dismal'' performance of UP in all spheres of development, the Congress star campaigner urged support for his party to expedite the process of development and growth.

Flaying the Mulayam Singh Yadav regime, he alleged, ''it is painful that UP has become a 'shelter' for history-sheeters. In the last 15 years, the non-Congress governments have pushed the state three ages back. Even, Mr Yadav has nothing to do with the development and is hand-in-glove with criminals.'' ''The non-Congress governments had only cases of loot, murders and rapes to present to people. They are constantly engaged in dividing UP in the name of religion and caste. They have always ditched people,'' he said.

''I am not in UP only to campaign for Congress...I am in the state to constantly fight for the development of all.'' UNI