Rahul Gandhi kickstarts Congress's 2014 campaign in Uttar Pradesh

Aligarh: Rahul Gandhi today kick-started the Congress's campaign in Uttar Pradesh for national polls due by May, by addressing rallies in Aligarh and Rampur.

Here are the highlights:
In Aligarh:

• Are the laptops working? Did it give you employment
• I was told that what I said on Ordinance was at a wrong time
• I said that I was honest
• Sach bolne ka bhi samai hota he kya? (Is there a right time to speak the truth?)
• When farmers were killed here, we promised that we would protect them
• I promised that Cong will fight with you and surely win it
• It took time, but the promise was fulfilled. We fought and we made sure that the Bill was passed
• We provided employment to crores, and then we brought food security
• Not only tomorrow, but your kids will get food everyday
• Not a single person will go hungry in Uttar Pradesh
• Not UP, but UPA govt promises you this
• UP is regressing because political forces make you fight amongst yourselves
  
• Hindus and Muslims died in Muzaffarnagar riots..I spoke to both communities, they told me, there is no anger betweem them. Politicians have created this rift
• Muzaffarnagar riots caused because of political forces
  
• Common man does not want to fight, he wants to live peacefully, and earn a living
• We will not allow these people to incite violence
• If Uttar Pradesh is lagging behind, it's because you are divided
• You are made to fight amongst yourselves
• We in the Congress will change that, we will fight those forces
  
  In Rampur:
  
• The Samajwadi Party may think implementing the food security act in Uttar Pradesh before 2014 elections may benefit the Congress
• I urge you to put pressure on the government, so that everyone benefits 
• I went to Muzaffarnagar and everyone told me they had no quarrel between them and that the riots were orchestrated by politicians
  
• No politician dies in riots, the common man does. This is not the politics of the Congress.
  
• We want everyone to live in peace and talk development
• There has been zero development in Uttar Pradesh - whether it was the SP or the BSP.
  
• If UP has to be truly transformed, you need to vote and bring the Congress to power
• There was an old land acquisition law under which a poor man's land could be taken away by the govt
  
• We fought in Bhatta Parsaul, Aligarh and in Parliament - and we got the bill passed
• The new law not only benefits land owners  but also those who till the land
  
• Congress will continue to fight for the poor and the downtrodden
• A woman came to me and said you have given us 50% reservation in Panchayats - now what about Parliament? I told her if you get 50% in Parliament and Assemblies, the rest 50% you'll get by controlling your husband - so women will have 100% reservation
• I want to make politics approachable for common people - people should be able to join political parties
• Open the closed doors of the government and bureaucracy and put the common man there. Empower him with laws like RTI
• The govt must function for 5 years - you must ask questions for 5 years and if people don't answer you - they will be jailed. That is RTI
• Panchayati Raj, RTI, Right to Food will benefit India
• Opposition asks what Congress did in 8 years
• They don't understand the poor. Nothing is bigger than hunger. We gave people Right to Food.
• They talk of growth rate. The pace at which we have grown, has never happened before.
• Common man as never benefitted more
• They spoke of India Shining in 2004. You asked them to make way for Congress. The same happened in 2009
• Everyone said Congress will lose. Congress returned
• It's simple. If you want to win elections, empower the poor
• They don't go to the poor, don't communicate with them. They hold pressers in front of media