‘If doors (for aam aadmi) are not opened, Cong will face troubles’

Though it would be too early to say that there would be a turn in fortune of the Congress in the city, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi can draw solace from addressing a well- attended meeting on Sunday in the same Ramlila ground at Ambedkar Nagar, which maintained a deserted look in 17 November, 2013.

 

Speaking to a gathering of approximately 15,000 at Ambedkar Nagar here in South Delhi, Rahul said, ‘For the last 15 years there was a Congress government in Delhi. A lot of developmental works were done. Despite that Congress lost in the 2013 assembly elections.

‘Residents of Delhi had sent a message to the party over their desire to see development. However, what worked against the party was that old relationships it had with the common people were closed. They should have remained open’.

While promising to include common man into the party fold, Rahul said, ‘If those doors are not opened, Congress will face troubles. You told us this. I want to tell the people that we have deeply understood this.’ 

‘After elections, we will bring about changes in our state party structure. We will include the common people in our new structure. We made a mistake and people of Delhi have suffered as a result’, he added.

Launching a scathing attack on AAP-led Delhi government, Rahul said the party made lofty promises to the people, but later ‘ran away’, leaving the people of Delhi in a lurch. 

‘It is easy to make false promises. They (AAP) gave budget for electricity subsidy for only three months. But there are 12 months in a year and five years in a term. Budgets are not given for three months but for an entire year. The truth is that the people, who were running the government, have now run away. Some are seen in Varanasi, some in other places,’ the Congress vice president said. 

Presenting the Congress as a better alternative to the BJP, Gandhi said that his party was interested in give power to the poor, farmers and women in every sphere of life. If our party does come to power in 2014, women will be provided 33 per cent reservations in parliament and subsequently in all legislative assemblies.

‘If BJP come over power, then a few business houses will run the NDA government, They will fully avail yours rights and properties for their benefit’, said Gandhi.