 |
| Rahul Gandhi |
Itanagar, Nov 24 : The Congress-led UPA gover-nment would continue to work for development at the grassroots and steer the country towards rapid technological advancement, Rahul Gandhi said today while addressing a victory rally at Indira Gandhi Park here.
The afternoon rally was attended mostly by Congress workers as the All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU), the apex students’ body of the state, called for a boycott in protest against the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI)’s recruitment drive centred around the young Amethi MP.
Sporting a white galuk (tribal man’s costume) the AICC general secretary projected himself as the aam admi ka sipahi (the common man’s army) and eulogised the Arunachal Pradesh tribals for helping the Congress make a clean sweep of the Assembly polls held last month.
Rahul arrived here today on a one-day visit to the state.
Earlier in the day, he attended the 8th Inter-College Youth Festival at Rajiv Gandhi University as the chief guest and chaired the Arunachal PCC executive committee meeting.
The UPA government wanted to make India strong both internally and externally rather than wedge a divide between the rich and the poor, Rahul said. “The Congress does not play divide and rule game like other parties. We do not want to make two types of India but want to make the country stronger.”
“India’s strength lies in agriculture, so we cannot ignore rural India but at the same time we are striving to make India stride in the IT sector and compete with other countries,” Rahul said.
During his 15-minute speech, Rahul, however, avoided any mention of China’s claim to parts of Arunachal Pradesh. Rahul reiterated the UPA government’s pledge to implement people-oriented development schemes at the grassroots.
“I myself as an aam admi ka sipahi always emphasise working for the growth of the mass though the Opposition party pilloried me like anything for mixing with poor people and accused that my party had sold India’s poverty to the other countries.”
He said though he could not be a part of the party’s poll campaign during the first week of October because of inclement weather, he felt great to see Dorjee Khandu-led Congress government returning to power.
“I heartily thank the people of Arunachal Pradesh for supporting the Congress to retain power during the recently concluded Assembly polls in the state.”
Chief minister Dorjee Khandu, former chief minister Gegong Apang, MPs Takam Sanjoy and Ninong Ering, AICC general secretaries Sanjoy Bapna and V. Narayanswamy, home minister Tako Dabi and PWD minister Nabam Tuki were present among others.
