Rahul Gandhi slams Mayawati govt. for failing to implement women welfare initiatives

Rae Bareli, Feb 17 (ANI): Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi has slammed the Uttar Pradesh Government for failing to implement welfare initiatives for women.

Addressing a gathering here, Gandhi said Uttar Pradesh under the rule of Chief Minister Mayawati had failed to better the lives of millions of people across the state.

"I want to ask you that has anything substantial ever been done in the last 22 years for the welfare women in Uttar Pradesh. Mayawati and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav have governed the state for the last 22 years but nothing has been done," he added.

"Has anything changed in your households? I cannot see any fruitful change and that upsets me. When I visit your houses, the situation seems to be the same. Whatever improvement I witness in Amethi or Rae Bareli is due to the efforts of the ruling Congress party and not the state government," Gandhi said.

Gandhi further slammed Mulayam Singh Yadav for his promises of providing free electricity and water to villagers in the state.

"Before the elections, Mulayam Singh Yadav comes and says that he will provide free electricity and water to villagers in the state if his party comes to power, however I think all such promises are fake. His party was in power in 2007, why did not he do anything back then? Did you get free electricity or water? I only witnessed complaints from villagers that they were being charged 10,000 rupees to 15,000 rupees for electricity during that time. How will he ever provide free electricity, it has not happened in the last 22 years as I see it," said Gandhi.

Urging voters to bring the Congress party to power in order for the state to progress, Gandhi said: ""We try to work for Uttar Pradesh, however we receive no cooperation from the state government. We urge you to extend your hand towards us and we will change the face of the state and pave a way for progress."

The Uttar Pradesh polls are being viewed as an opportunity for major parties to re-establish their foothold in the country's fifth largest and most populous state. new 403-member state assembly will be elected in March. The poll results will broadly indicate trends for the 2014 general elections. (ANI)