Rahul Gandhi to address rally in Punjab today

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi will address a public rally in Punjab's Sangrur District today.

Gandhi, who will address a rally organised by his party, will also attend a function at Sangrur.

Top Congress leaders of the state, including Punjab Congress chief Pratap Singh Bajwa, will be present at the rally.

The Congress Vice-President's rally in Punjab comes a day after he kick-started his party's campaign in Uttar Pradesh for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls by addressing rallies in Aligarh and Rampur.

Gandhi yesterday claimed that both the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have failed miserably in governance, and said that only a Congress Government can change the face of the state marred by politics based on religion.

"Uttar Pradesh is not developing because of religion and caste politics. People are being encouraged to divide the state on religious and caste lines," he said.

Gandhi, while referring to the recent communal clashes in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar District, said that his party was very much concerned over the growing lawlessness in the state.

"Who benefited when both Hindus and Muslims died in Muzaffarnagar riots?" he asked.

Gandhi also claimed credit for the UPA's ambitious Land Acquisition Bill, and reached out to members of the farming community.

"Land has been forcibly taken away from farmers. Farmers were killed in Aligarh few years back. We fought for farmers and we will continue to do that," said Gandhi.

"The UP Government does not want to introduce the Food Bill. People here don't know if they will get food tomorrow," he added, while asserting that the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party Government was least bothered about the poor.

Attempting to reach out to the youth and first-time voters, Gandhi took a jibe at the Samajwadi Party's 'laptop scheme'.

"Is the Uttar Pradesh Government working? There are no jobs in the state? Are the laptops working? Are you getting your wages?" he asked.

The Congress number two also claimed credit for expressing his views on the ordinance on convicted lawmakers.

"I was asked what I said on ordinance was not on the right time. Do we need a time to speak the truth, I spoke when I realised it was not good," he said.