Respect more important than development: Rahul Gandhi

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said Thursday respecting people is more important than development and charged the Madhya Pradesh government with being corrupt.

He was addressing two rallies at Gwalior and Shahdol in the poll-bound state where elections are scheduled Nov 25.

"Respect is more important than development because you will not get development unless you get respect. The Madhya Pradesh government does not respect the people," he said at Gwalior.

Gandhi said the Oct 13 stampede on a bridge leading to the historic Ratangarh temple in Datia district took place because the government did not respect the people.

"I was told a similar incident occurred earlier (2006) at the same place. It means the government did not respect the people who died in 2006, and they do not respect the people who died here Sunday," he said.

The Congress leader is scheduled to visit the stampede site later Thursday evening.

Arriving late for his rally, he started his speech with an apology, which was met with loud cheers from the audience.

Earlier, speaking in Shahdol, 500 km from Gwalior, Gandhi charged the Madhya Pradesh government for being corrupt and unable to provide education and employment to the people.

"Madhya Pradesh has become the university of corruption," he said.

"There is no employment in Madhya Pradesh, the factories which were functioning here were also shut down. They (BJP) have a habit of signing MoUs (memorandum of understandings) and that's that, how many people here have got employment though MoUs?" he asked.

Calling upon the youth to join politics, he said development will not reach them unless they are politically involved.

"Development will come when you will reach assembly and the Lok Sabha," he said.