PHOTOS: AP

BIG RESPONSE: Congress president Sonia Gandhi at a farmers' rally at Mehsana in Gujarat on Thursday.

MEHSANA: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday accused the Modi Government in Gujarat of scuttling the pro-farmer programmes of the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre and claimed that the Congress was the only party, which could ensure the State's development.

Ms. Gandhi was addressing a farmers' rally at the conclusion of a "kisan rath yatra," led by Union Minister Shankarsinh Waghela.

The difference between the Congress and BJP, she said, was that while the former constantly thought about people's welfare, the latter was always after power and ready to adopt any means, including spreading hatred among people, to achieve this "objective."

The huge crowd that gathered in this small town in north Gujarat is certain to ring the warning bell to the BJP leadership, considering that the State Assembly elections are slated for later this year.

It was Ms. Gandhi's third public meeting in the State since January.

She received mammoth response from people in the tribal rally in Devgadh-Baria and the youth rally in Porbandar.

It took more than an hour for the three-lakh odd people to clear out of the venue after the meeting ended late in the evening.

Ms. Gandhi later reached Gandhinagar where she stayed for the night meeting delegations, including her party teams.

A section of the crowd.

"Go to villages"

Ms. Gandhi urged her partymen to go to villages, understand the problems faced by people and fight for their causes. She reminded them about their duty to explain to people the pro-people and development programmes framed by the UPA Government. These programmes were not reaching the Gujarat people because the Modi Government was coming in the way, she alleged.

Ms. Gandhi pointed out that Jawaharlal Nehru had maintained the stand that "everything else can wait but agriculture cannot." Carrying forward his vision, Indira Gandhi brought about the Green Revolution that benefited crores of farmers.

Rajiv Gandhi, after becoming prime minister, visualised the technology mission for agriculture to ensure distribution of quality seeds and other agricultural inputs to the farmers.

"Suicides by farmers"

On the other hand, the BJP Government was trumpeting about the "prosperity" of the State farmers. In reality, more than 300 farmers had committed suicide in the last one year due to abject poverty.

The State Government was also coming in the way of implementing the UPA Government's programme of providing loans to agriculturists at the differential rate of interest of 7 per cent.

Pointing out that only two days ago Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a Rs. 25,000-crore national fund for agriculture, she said, "this is the basic difference between the Congress and the BJP. While our party believes in actual performance, the BJP indulges only in trumpeting its so-called achievements without doing anything for the people."

Claiming that the UPA Government was providing necessary assistance to all States irrespective of the party in power, Ms. Gandhi said the sense of hatred being generated among people in general, and youth in particular, by the BJP would ultimately ruin society.

"In the name of Gujarat Asmita [pride], the BJP Government is only playing with the lives of the people," she said.

Law and order

Ms. Gandhi said the State Government's claim of improving law and order situation was badly exposed by the recent happenings in the Saurashtra region where a girl was raped and another murdered and the perpetrators still eluding the police dragnet apparently due to political protection. It was time to overthrow the BJP Government.

The Congress was the only party that would fight for "your rights" and ensure development and progress of the State, she said.

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