Rahul Gandhi plays Muslim card in Uttar Pradesh rally

Badaun, Dec 14: Playing the Muslim card, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi today alleged that minorities were not getting any benefits in Uttar Pradesh and accused the Mayawati government of ignoring their welfare.

"Sachar committee report (on welfare of minorities) was implemented and money for minorities was sent, but has UP benefited. The report is being implemented in other states like Haryana, Delhi and Maharashtra," Rahul said in a rally on the second day of his tour of western UP.

"We fulfill our promises, MNREGA was launched and Lokpal bill is coming. The state government is not willing to work," he alleged.

He alleged that leaders lacked vision and they do not think in the long-term.

"In 1980 Rajiv Gandhi talked about computers and people are getting benefited today. Until and unless leaders think long-term UP cannot progress," he said.

Rahul said that states like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka progressed because Congress governments there had a vision and leaders thought about the future.

"Non-Congress governments think only about today," he said.

Alleging loot of central funds in UP, Rahul said, "Rajiv Gandhi used to say that of Re one only 15 paise reach in people, but in UP not a single paise is reaching."

He said that the loss was not that of the Centre or the state government, but that of the people and UP's future.

"The elephant in Lucknow eats money. This money is not that of the Centre or the state government..it comes from the contribution made by the people in development. We send money for the people, but it does not reach them in UP," he alleged.

PTI