Rahul wonders what CPM did in Bengal

Statesman News Service

PURULIA/KHATRA (Bankura)/MALDA/JALPAIGURI, April 24: Congress general secretary, Mr Rahul Gandhi, today lashed out at the Marxists alleging that they had failed to stand by the poor as and when required in West Bengal.

He arrived at the tribal dominated town of Khatra in Bankura to campaign for the Congress candidate for Bankura Mr Subrata Mukherjee.

He said: “The Communist government has been in power for considerable time here, but I don’t understand why they couldn't do anything for thousands of people suffering hunger, unemployment and poverty. It’s a shameful situation.”

More than 20,000 people had gathered, braving a temperature 46 degree Celcius. Senior leaders of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, who have fielded a candidate against Mr Mukherjee in Bankura were also present in the rally to welcome Mr Gandhi. While talking about the UPA, Mr Gandhi said: "It is the UPA that stood beside the tribal and the downtrodden. In five years we have launched several Guarantee Rojgar Yojnas, midday meal in the schools aiming to help total elevation of the poor people in the villages. Also it was the UPA that tried to exempt agricultural loan worth Rs 70 crore during its tenure because it had certain firm pro-people policies.” Mr Gandhi today described the Left Front government in West Bengal as backdated and said: “The country needed to move on and advance in the fields of science and technology, not get bogged down by the Left parties’ anachronistic ideas like blocking the nuclear agreement with the USA.” Mr Gandhi said this while addressing an election rally for the South Malda Congress candidate in English Bazaar town today.

In a second rally of the day in north Bengal at Malbazaar for the party's Jalpaiguri candidate Mr Sukhabilash Barma, Mr Gandhi said that the people were frustrated with Left Front misrule in the state. “While the whole country is heading towards a brighter future, the CPI-M has no intention to move with the pace. The West Bengal government has failed to implement the Central projects like NREGS, Indira Awas Yojna etc. earmarked for the benefit of the people,” he alleged.