Rahul takes on BJP over bijli, sadak, pani

Bhopal, Nov 25 (UNI) Lambasting Madhya Pradesh's Bharatiya Janata Party regime for reneging on promises of providing ''bijli, sadak, pani (power, roads, water)'', Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi today gave a clarion call to dethrone the ''corrupt'' government and then signed off his hectic poll campaign.

''I think people's trust is of utmost importance in politics and the BJP has lost it,'' Mr Gandhi said while addressing a mammoth gathering on the state capital's outskirts. Earlier, he addressed rallies at Morena and Shahdol.

Terming the Centre's Congress-led United Progressive Allinace government as ''aam aadmi ka sarkar (common man's government),'' Mr Gandhi -- in his brief speech -- claimed that, among other achievments, the Centre introduced people-oriented schemes such as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, brought in the worthy Right to Information Bill that was enacted, a Tribal Bill and did excellent work in the education sector.

Mr Gandhi also trained guns at the saffron party for raking up the terrorism issue.

''BJP leaders are alleging that the Congress is not combating insurgency, hence development is not taking place in Madhya Pradesh.

Is militancy responsible for poor roads, erratic power supply in rural areas and a water crisis?'' Mr Gandhi quipped.

He said the BJP came to power five years back with a bouquet of promises but ''failed'' miserably on all fronts and could not provide employment to youth.

Mr Gandhi said if the Congress was voted to power it would make Bhopal and Indore cities of global level.

The Congress leader, who began his speech with a shower of praise for this City of Lakes, said, ''Bhopal is beautiful and make it more beautiful by bringing the Congress to power.'' He appealed for choosing a government that would bring about development, provide uninterrrupted power, infrastructural facilities and -- above all -- help the poor.

Going down memory lane, Gandhi Junior reminisced the words of his father Rajiv Gandhi who was rather depressed after visiting the Bhopal gas tragedy-affected areas in 1984. Indira Gandhi he said had described Bhopal as a beautiful city to little Rahul.

Congress state President Suresh Pachouri, who accompanied Mr Gandhi, said the BJP regime was embroiled in corruption and promised that the Congress would provide a clean government that would develop the state.

Congress Madhya Pradesh In-charge General Secretary V Narayanasamy, Gurudas Kamath and other leaders were also present.

UNI BDG AC SK AS1900