Balrampur, Feb 2: A day after Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma faced the ire of voters at a poll rally, BJP today questioned how Rahul Gandhi would fulfil the promise of changing UP in five years when Congress leaders like Verma were being booed in their own parliamentary constituencies.
“Rahul Gandhi is promising development in all his meetings throughout the state but how is it possible with his ministers of the stature of Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma being hooted and not being allowed to speak in their own parliamentary constituencies,” senior BJP leader Kalraj Misra told PTI.
“How would the Congress and Rahul Gandhi be able to fulfil such a promise,” Misra said, adding that though Congress is claiming itself to be the strongest party in the state, it is its leaders who are facing the maximum opposition.
Verma, MP from Gonda, was shouted down by people in his constituency yesterday in the presence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi . He had faced a similar situation in November before Rahul Gandhi.
Terming SP, BSP and Congress as sides of the same coin, he said these parties were involved in a “mad race” to appease Muslims.
“There is a mad race for pleasing the Muslims by granting them reservation.
“Centre has given 4.5 per cent sub quota to minorities within 27 per cent quota of the OBCs going against the constitution which disallows reservation on the basis of religion”, he said, adding now “Congress is promising nine per cent quota to Muslims while SP and BSP are saying that they will give 18 per cent reservation which is unconstitutional.”
Misra, who is here to campaign for Shailesh Kumar Singh “Shailu” from Gaisadi seat, alleged that development came to a standstill under BSP government while corruption was rampant.
“Rahul Gandhi is saying that the picture of the state would be changed in five years time but he seems to have forgotten that it was his party which had led the govenremnt for the maximum period.... Congress has betrayed the people earlier and is trying to do the same again”, Misra said.
Terming both the SP and BSP as “economic offenders”, he alleged that a scam to the tune of Rs 8000 crore under the NRHM scheme started in 2004 under the SP government.
Attacking the Samajwadi Party, he claimed that people felt unsafe during Mulayam Singh Yadav government and there was no rule of the law.
