Poverty, corruption are Cong's gifts to people: Gadkari

New Delhi, Oct 28: A day after getting the backing of the party,

chief

, who is facing allegations of dubious funding of his companies, on Saturday made a scathing attack on the

on the issues of corruption, bad governance and unemployment. Addressing election rallies at Reckong Peo in tribal Kinnaur district and Chopal in interior Shimla, Gadkari said, "Congress ruled the country for the longest time, except for brief period of eight years, and poverty, unemployment, corruption and lack of infrastructure are gifts of the Congress to the people."

The BJP chief flew into Himachal Pradesh on Saturday morning for campaigning for the November 4 Assembly elections, a day after receiving the support of the party leadership in the face of allegations of financial bunglings by shell companies investing in his Purti Group. The BJP had on Friday night set all speculations at rest about his continuance in office by expressing its unanimous support and dismissing media reports of his impending resignation as "baseless and untrue".

Attacking the Congress for making promises to remove poverty, Gadkari said that instead of helping people, the ruling party had benefitted big leaders and corporate houses while doing nothing to ameliorate the condition of the poor, checking unemployment and curbing price rise. Comparing the NDA and the UPA rule, Gadkari said that prices were stable, Rupee was strong and steps were taken to strengthen the basic infrastructure during the NDA regime.

The UPA government has failed on all fronts and did nothing for overall development of the country, he said. "The farmers are committing suicide, the common man is reeling under rising prices, and unemployment is on the rise but the government has failed miserably to solve these problems," Gadkari added.

PTI