BJP reversed clock on development in state: Sonia Gandhi

Roorkee, January 17
Congress president Sonia Gandhi today criticised the BJP government in Uttarakhand on the issues of corruption, ill-governance and alleged cheating of people of the state in the name of development.

Sonia, while addressing her maiden election rally at Roorkee in Haridwar district, assailed the BJP government for allegedly reversing the clock on development in the state and siphoning off public money.

In her 20-minute address, Sonia said the BJP government had only exploited the natural resources of the state in the name of development by handing them over to private parties and ministers pocketing money.

“Uttarakhand is a land of abundant natural bounty and resources, but instead of conserving them and using them for people’s welfare, the BJP government has been misusing them,” said Sonia.

The Congress president criticised the state government for having two chief ministers in five years. She said, “It was a move to befool the people. But the BJP leaders don’t know that the public understands that by changing the Chief Minister the party cannot hide its corrupt practices and nefarious designs.”

She reminded the people of the previous Congress government in the state and urged them to vote for the party candidates to ensure unhindered and corruption-free development.

Sonia said be it IIM, Kashipur, AIIMS, Rishikesh, NIIT, Pauri Garhwal, or employment to rural people under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre had been instrumental behind all these.

“Development means providing employment, improving the living standard of the people and working for all sections of society. The BJP has failed on all these counts and this is what we (Congress) promise to do,” she added. Sonia looked content with the 20,000-plus gathering and termed Roorkee as a prominent city of the country while referring to the premier Indian Institute of Technology, the Central Building Research Institute, the Bengal Engineers Group and numerous educational institutes.

Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat, Congress election in-charge for Uttarakhand Birendra Singh, state party chief Yashpal Arya, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Harak Singh Rawat and other prominent party leaders of the state were present at the rally.