M A I N   N E W S

Sonia concerned over UP law and order

Rae Bareli, September 14
Ahead of Lok Sabha and Assembly by-elections in Uttar Pradesh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today said she would take up the increasing incidence of crime and lawlessness in the state with the Centre and the Mulayam Singh Yadav government.

The Congress Chief told mediapersons on the first day of her three-day “mass-contact” programme in her parliamentary constituency here that “the law and order was not satisfactory in UP.”

Ms Gandhi attributed her claim on the “feedback” she received from people and also the newspaper reports. She, however, parried a question over her party’s outside support to the state government.

Mr Yadav declined to comment when approached by mediapersons in the state capital.

The Congress has been persistently raising the law and order in the state as a serious issue of concern.

During his recent visit to his Amethi Parliamentary constituency, Ms Gandhi’s son Rahul Gandhi had claimed that criminalisation had become part of life in the state.

Ms Gandhi’s comments came a month before by-elections to two Lok Sabha and 12 Assembly seats in the state where her party is extending outside support to the 13-month-old Mulayam government.

The UPA Chairperson listed power, water and roads as key problems facing her constituency and promised to look into the matter.

Earlier in the day, Ms Gandhi arrived at the Amausi Airport in Lucknow and drove down to Rae Bareli.

“Instead of holding public meetings, she would make unscheduled stoppages to meet people...,” a senior party leader said.

This is the her second visit to the constituency after the Congress regained power at the Centre.

Sources said Ms Gandhi planned to visit remote villages and take a first-hand stock of development there, instead of relying on local leaders for getting a feedback on people’s problems and aspirations. — UNI