Bilaspur (HP):
Targetting the BJP over "corruption" charges against its leaders, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday asked the opposition party what action it took against those facing such allegations.
"We take action wherever there are allegations of corruption. Did they take any action when corruption charges were levelled against them and their leaders? They did not utter even a word," Mr Gandhi said in a veiled reference to BJP Chief Nitin Gadkari.
Addressing a rally in Bilaspur, Mr Gandhi reminded people that it was Congress which brought RTI and that it was the BJP, which obstructed the passage of Lokpal bill in the Rajya Sabha.
He also dismissed BJP's opposition to FDI accusing it of spreading disinformation on the issue. Mr Gandhi said that FDI is for the benefit of the farmers.
"They were not against FDI when their government was in Delhi. Then they wanted to bring a bill on FDI. Now when we are bringing it, they are opposing it only because Congress is doing this," he added.
"Opposition will say MNREGA is wrong, farmers' loan waiver is wrong, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is wrong and FDI is wrong simply because Congress is doing it," Mr Gandhi rued.
He also slammed BJP over the issue of land allotments in the state saying that people complain that their land was sold out arbitrarily and given to outsiders.
Mr Gandhi, who is tipped to take a "larger role" in the party affairs soon, also chose the occasion to exhort youths to join politics and change it from within.
"As long as you remain out of the system, as long as a new generation does not come in politics, this system cannot change. I want to bring new people, youths and particularly women in politics. States where women joined politics and were conscious developed fast," Mr Gandhi said.
He urged people to vote Congress to power in the state and highlighted the problem of "unemployment" in Himachal Pradesh saying "these things have to be changed".