Rahul Gandhi accuses TDP govt of undoing SHG movement

ANANTAPUR (AP): Praising the Self-Help Group (SHG) women movement built over the years in Andhra Pradesh, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi today alleged that the TDP government in the state has destroyed the endeavour.

Noting that MNREGA benefited a large number of poor people across the country, he also hit out at the NDA government at the Centre for diluting the MNREGA programme.

"On the other side, (Narendra) Modiji speaks in Parliament and tries to close down MNREGA. He said MNREGA is a useless programme and it benefits none. He said he would not like to end the programme so that the mistakes of Congress are known to all," said Gandhi, addressing gatherings of SHG women and NREGS workers during a one-day visit to the drought-hit Anantapur district of AP.

"In the previous meeting, women told me that your Chief Minister hurt the SHG movement by making false promises. Chief Minister (Chandrababu) Naidu destroyed the work that Congress has done for years and the confidence that was built.

"He lied to women for winning the elections and the doors of banks are now closed for them. In one minute, he destroyed the power given to you by Congress," he said.

Highlighting that he was also inspired by the good work done by SHG women in AP, he said he emulated the example in his Lok Sabha constituency (Amethi) in Uttar Pradesh.

"I was not just inspired by them, I took some of the lessons and I applied them in my constituency in Uttar Pradesh," he said.