Camp: Pune, Maharashtra

Date: 15th April, 2014

Time: 3 pm

Rahul Gandhi in Pune: This election is a battle between the ideologies of Gandhi and Godse

Pune: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a mammoth election rally at Pune in Maharashtra, said that 2014

election is a battle between politics of love and politics of anger.

Rahul Gandhi started his address striking a chord with the huge audience by saying, “In Pune, women travel even during night

without any fear. It is not because of the Police, but due to the noble ideology of the people living here. Whole country must

learn this from here”.

“This election is a battle of two ideologies; one is that of Congress which believes in uniting and empowering people and the

other is that of BJP. This election is a battle between the ideologies of Gandhi Ji and Godse – the battle between politics of love

and politics of anger. One ideology (Congress’) unites and the other (BJP’s) is divisive. Remember, whenever these two

ideologies fought, always the ideology of Gandhi ji and the Congress party won. Godse had killed Gandhi Ji because he could not

challenge Gandhi ji’s ideology, thought and love. He had no reply to Gandhi Ji and so he took out his gun and murdered Gandhi

ji”, argued the Congress leader and added, “No one can defeat Congress’ ideology. It is due to this vision, our country developed,

Pune progressed”.

Rahul Gandhi then launched a sharp attack on Modi’s much hyped Gujarat Model and said, “Nowadays there are huge talks by

the BJP leaders and Modi about Gujarat model. They make big claims that BJP could transform Gujarat. You must have heard

about Amul Co-operative movement in Gujarat. The BJP just forgot about the valuable contributions of the women, textile

workers and the farmers who played a great role in state’s development. Any Modi gives speeches by saying that ‘I developed

Gujarat’!”

“What is happening under Gujarat model? Land of Aurangabad's size, about 45,000 acres, has been given for a mere Rs 300

crore to a single industrialist – Adani- by Modi govt. Today, a toffee costs Rs. 5 but Modi government gave lands at Rs. 1. Same

is the case with the major coastal line in Gujarat. A loan of Rs 10,000 crore was given to Tata at 1% interest rate for the Nano car

project. The amount is more than what is spent on health and education in Gujarat. Here are some more examples of ‘Gujarat

model’. About 40 lakh people in Gujarat are under BPL. 40% of the people are not able to get drinking water facilities in Gujarat;

one out of two kids starves. Every section suffers under Gujarat model and just one industrialist reaps entire benefits. Still, BJP

claims that Gujarat is shining” further said the Congress Vice President.

“I appeal to all of you to support our candidates and elect them with good margins. This is a fight between our ideology and that

of BJP’s. We will have to take everyone without any discrimination. We must fight together to defeat divisive ideology” Rahul

Gandhi concluded.

Full text of the speech by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi in Pune, Maharashtra

Pune is said to be one of the best developed cities in the country. It happened because of its people. I am also told that in Pune,

women travel even during night without any fear. It is not because of the Police, but due to the noble ideology of the people

living here. Whole country must learn this fromhere.

This election is a battle of two ideologies; one is that of Congress which believes in uniting and empowering people and the

other is that of BJP. This election is a battle between the ideologies of Gandhi Ji and Godse – the battle between politics of love

and politics of anger. One ideology (Congress’) unites and the other (BJP’s) is divisive. Remember, whenever these two

ideologies fought, always the ideology of Gandhi ji and the Congress party won. Godse had killed Gandhi Ji because he could not

challenge Gandhi ji’s ideology, thought and love. He had no reply to Gandhi Ji and so he took out his gun and murdered Gandhi

ji.

No one can defeat Congress’ ideology. It is due to this vision, our country developed,

Pune progressed.

In, 2004, BJP and NDA had come out with a slogan – India Shining. I too became active in politics in 2004. Without going to the

people, it believed and tries to make others believe that India was shining but the reality was different. The people gave them a

befitting reply by bursting BJP balloon and electing a Congress government at the Centre.

After forming the government, we went to the people to know their difficulties, in all these ten years. If the country developed,

it is because of our people. We have faith in people’s power and that is why we go to them frequently. They told us that they

face difficulties in securing jobs. We, therefore, enacted MNREGA to guarantee jobs for rural poor. Similarly we also gave you

right to education and right to food. Congress wants development, roads, electricity and all other infrastructures as well as

growth rate but also want to ensure that the people also get its benefits. The poor cannot eat roads.

Nowadays there are huge talks by the BJP leaders and Modi about Gujarat model. They make big claims that BJP could transform

Gujarat. You must have heard about Amul Co-operative movement in Gujarat. The BJP just forgot about the valuable

contributions of the women, textile workers and the farmers who played a great role in state’s development. Any Modi gives

speeches by saying that ‘I developed Gujarat’!

You also have a Chief Minister here. He offers full support of his government for welfare of the people and development of the

state. But it is the people who are the main contributors for progress. We know it very well and so we come to you frequently.

What does Modi tell people? He urges people to make him the chowkeedar of the country. BJP wants to make him a

chowkeedar (watchman) to solve all the issues in our country; But Congress wants to make every citizen a chowkeedar of our

nation. We want our people become watchmen of our country and hand over the keys of our nation to its people. That is why

initiated a right-based approach in our governance.

What is happening under Gujarat model? Land of Aurangabad's size, about 45,000 acres, has been given for a mere Rs 300 crore

to a single industrialist – Adani- by Modi govt. Today, a toffee costs Rs. 5 but Modi government gave lands at Rs. 1. Same is the

case with the major coastal line in Gujarat. A loan of Rs 10,000 crore was given to Tata at 1% interest rate for the Nano project.

The amount is more than what is spent on health and education in Gujarat.

Here are some more examples of ‘Gujarat model’. About 40 lakh people in Gujarat are under BPL. 40% of the people are not

able to get drinking water facilities in Gujarat; one out of two kids starves. Every section suffers under Gujarat model and just

one industrialist reaps entire benefits. Still, BJP claims that Gujarat is shining.

BJP spends huge funds for marketing and advertisements. They spend about Rs 10 crore for one election rally. From where do

they get this much money? Will anyone give them for free? They get money by from this ‘toffee model’.

I just want to share what we are going to do after winning 2014 elections. Pune is one of the foremost manufacturing hubs in

our country. In the part ten years, we could free about 15 crore people from poverty. We built a strong floor based on rights

under the feet of the poor. Now a new class of people has been created, those are above poverty line but below the middle

class. These are the street vendors, carpenters, security guards, truck drivers, plumbers- those people who run this country.

There are 70 cr people who fall in this category. Our entire focus is to take this 70 cr people to the middle class in the next 5

years. It is not possible without boosting the manufacturing sector.

That is why we have launched a new industrial corridors project– Delhi-Mumbai, Mumbai-Chennai, Delhi-Kolkata- will generate

more jobs for our youth. We will have all modern infrastructures and dedicated railway lines in that corridor. Today China is the

manufacturing capital of the world. We want India to replace China in the future. We want to see ‘Made in India’ or Made in

Pune or Maharashtra’ and not ‘Made in China’ label on all the watches, cameras, mobiles. Thousands of industries that are going

to come up in these corridors will be the backbone of India. Crore of youths will be able to secure jobs once this is completed.

Nowadays, I see BJP poster with the promise of women empowerment. They talk about women empowerment but its cadres

beat up women in Bangalore. It is the BJP that is blocking the passage of women reservation bill which ensures 33% reservation

in Parliament and assemblies. We are planning to establish 2000 dedicated women police stations. We could connect crores of

women with banks through Self Help Groups.

But what about BJP? In BJP ruled Chhattisgarh, about 20000 women are missing. In Maharashtra, our Chief Minister uses his

power to serve people but in Gujarat, its Chief Minister uses entire strength to send policemen after a woman, to tap her

phones. Still, BJP talks about women empowerment! BJP must learn to respect women first, then only they should talk about

empowerment.

We had held interactions with various sections of the society, before finalising our manifesto for 2014 polls. People had

expressed their happiness with our schemes of granting rights in jobs and food for the poor. But they told us about their

difficulties in availing hospital facilities. They told us that if somebody falls ill in a poor family, it is very difficult to avail adequate

healthcare facilities. We, therefore, decided to grant people a right to health in our manifesto. We will open the doors of

hospitals for the poor. Similarly, we also will provide people with right to shelter for the poor and right to pension for old-aged.

We will open new colleges and universities.

BJP also has come with its manifesto. What have they done? They just copied our manifesto, removed Congress symbol and

replaced it with BJP’s. As you know, we already have implemented one-rank-one-pension scheme for our soldiers across the

country. But BJP manifesto offers the same but it does not understand that this programme already is in operation. Same is the

case with industrial corridor project. BJP also copied our right to health proposal.

Why BJP is doing so? It never bothers about people; it never goes to masses. BJP thinks that only one man in the whole world

possesses entire knowledge. Earlier there used to be senior leaders like Advani ji and Jaswant Singh ji. There was scope for some

discussions. But, today, everything changed and one man has entire authority in BJP. He thinks and decides everything. IT talks

about democracy but one man takes all decisions in that party. BJP never respects people’s sentiments.

Pune, as I had said earlier, is one of the major manufacturing centres. There is proposal for Metro project here and I am also

aware of the water scarcity issues in Pune. We will put in all our sincere efforts to solve these issues. The Metro programme has

already been launched and you will soon get the benefits. We will give special focus to improve the infrastructure here.

Here Congress and NCP are partners and we are fighting this election as a unit. I appeal to all of you to support our candidates

and elect them with good margins. This is a fight between our ideology and that of BJP’s. We will have to take everyone without

any discrimination. We must fight together to defeat divisive ideology.

Thank you.

Jai Hind.