Rahul cites another ‘Kalawati’, highlights Dalit plight in Amethi

AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Monday indirectly attacked the Uttar Pradesh Government for not ensuring security and safety for the Dalits in the state. Though the Amethi MP did not mention the state Government or CM Mayawati in his speech, he narrated the story of a Dalit family to reflect the situation. He was addressing a programme organised to launch Priyadarshini, a project aimed at empowering women through Self Help Group. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was also present at the function.

Rahul’s story was that of Sunita Kori’s family from Pure Jawahar Singh, a village he had visited on January 26. He had asked a girl in the family what she feared the most. After keeping mum for some time, she had replied that she feared the police the most, as the cops beat up her father without any reason. Rahul said Sunita’s children did not have winter clothes. “They had no money to get their children educated,” he said, adding that it was his dream to ensure that he doesn’t get to see even a single house like that of Sunita’s anywhere in the country.

Highlighting the achievement of the SHG project in his constituency, he said, “Five years ago, people had doubted the success of this scheme in UP. They had told us that this project can be successful in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, but not here.”

Launching the Scheme, Sonia Gandhi said the Priyadarshini project proposes to cover two blocks in each of the six districts of UP and Bihar and the formation of 600 women-strong SHGs in each block by reaching out to 9,000 families.