Mayawati never visited 'barren villages' of Bundelkhand, claims Rahul Gandhi

SHAHJAHANPUR(UP): Blaming the Mayawati government for the backwardness and "barren villages" in Bundelkhand, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi today claimed that the Chief Minister never visited the region to see what drought and poverty is all about.

"Mayawati never went to Bundelkhand to see what drought is all about there, and what poverty is," Rahul said while addressing a public meet in Tilhar area here.

I went there and saw barren villages, Rahul said. "We sent Bundelkhand package for the development of the region but where Rs 3,000 crores went nobody knows," the Congress leader alleged.

Referring to the recent visit of Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, to review implementation of the special package in the region, Rahul said that he went there and saw the reality of the package.

Ahluwalia had expressed dissatisfaction over the use of development money.

Gandhi said that union minister for environment, Jayaram Ramesh had recently stated that there had been massive corruption in MGNREGS in UP and the health minister had also said that almost Rs 3,000 crores have been looted.

Rahul attacked BSP and Samajwadi Party for indulging in caste politics and stressed that it was essential that the state got rid of these two parties.

"You showed full confidence in the BSP and gave it 208 seats (in the last elections), but did Mayawati come to you or heard your problems," Rahul said adding that people (earlier) believed in SP but it also gave them nothing.

On the contrary they got criminals posted in police stations and the victims did not get justice, he said adding that both the parties have cheated the people.