'Even Opposition cannot deny the amount of development in Delhi': Rahul Gandhi

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday reached out to the people ahead of the assembly elections in the national capital, and said that that no one can deny the amount of development in Delhi, not even the opposition.

Addressing a rally in Delhi's Mangolpuri area, he said that the Congress party wants to empower the poor.

"No one can ever say that there's been no development in Delhi, not even the Opposition. Whatever laws we make, it is for the common man. Whatever we will do, we will do for the poor, the weak. This is our fight. Our politics is for the poor, and we want to empower the poor," said Gandhi.

He further lauded the efforts of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, and said that the party has seen a significant change in areas of transport, education and power.

"In the last 15 years, Sheilaji and the Congress have changed Delhi. People from other states want 'Delhi metro' in their states. The Delhi airport used to be a small airport. The UPA Government made it a high-tech world class airport," he said.

"We made 130 flyovers and over bridges and doubled the number of buses. We brought a revolution in the transport sector. We brought equal change in education and power sector," he added.

He also rubbished the NDA government's claims of focusing on road development in the state, and said that the Congress government made three times more roads than the NDA.

"Earlier the NDA government was in power, and they talk of infrastructure. They said they focused on making roads. I took out the statistics. We made three times more roads than the NDA," he said.

He further asserted that his party has made Delhi an educational hub, by introducing five new universities, which has greatly benefited the youth.

Gandhi also said the Congress Government has never compromised on the rights of the people.

"We have given the right to food, work and education. Every Indian should have the right to ask any question to the government. We brought Right to Information (RTI). That empowered people. The decisions in closed rooms reached the people. This is the right of aam aadmi," he said.

"We guaranteed their right to food. There used to be ration cards earlier. But when you go to villages, the needy never got it. We said food should reach everyone. And Delhi laid special emphasis on it. The opposition said where's the money for the food? We said we will find money and we showed it to them," he added.

Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit, Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath, Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmad, and Delhi party chief J P Agarwal were also present at the rally.

Delhi, which is currently governed by a Congress Government, votes for a new assembly on December 4. The counting of votes will take place on December 8.