24 Sep : Lashing out at the Uttar Pradesh government for objecting to the surprise visit of Congress MP, Rahul Gandhi, UPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi on Thursday said that it shows Chief Minister’s insecurity over inroads being made by the Congress leader in her vote bank.
“The Chief Minister considered dalits and deprived sections as her vote bank and she is concerned, as she feels that Rahul Gandhi might disturb by accessing it,” Joshi told a news agency in Lucknow.
“Rather than security of Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati is more concerned that by reaching the poor and deprived, he might disturb her vote bank, as she looks at things only from the angle of vote bank and not through the human angle,” Joshi said.
On keeping the state government and administration in the dark, Joshi said that SPG, which looks after Rahul’s security, has taken every precaution necessary, as his security is of prime importance.”Moreover, it would not be proper to say that the police which sets the house of an opposition leader on fire at the behest of the ruling party is losing sleep over the security of Rahul Gandhi,” the UPCC chief said.
Welcoming the secret visit by AICC general secretary, Joshi said that it was a good move, as besides the government and administration, the local congress MPs and leaders were also not aware of it and said, “It is like a warning that the party leader can reach anywhere anytime.”
Rita Bahuguna Joshi said that informing the administration beforehand could have proved an impediment in Rahul’s efforts to reach out to the local population.
The UPCC president, who rushed to the state capital on Thursday morning from New Delhi said that Rahul Gandhi is making an attempt to get first hand account of the problems faced by the common people in the Hindi heartland.
“Like a dedicated politician, Rahul Gandhi is making an earnest effort to get acclimatised with problems of common people, which would also help him in his Mission 2012,” Joshi said adding arrangements made by the administration, if informed of the visit, would have created unnecessary hurdles.