Ludhiana, September 15
The All-India Congress Committee general secretary, Rahul Gandhi, today asked the Youth Congress leaders to swim against the tide and face all “atrocities” by the ruling party if they wanted to carve a niche for themselves in the political arena.
Stating that the youth present at the Yuva Drishti-2009 venue today were the future of the country, Rahul said the implication of youth leaders in false cases was not “abnormal” in politics. They had to face vendetta and all this helped them to emerge as seasoned leaders.
Rahul stated this while he was interacting with the youth leaders individually. When asked to use the RTI and detect cases of corruption, the leaders complained that they were already being framed in serious criminal cases, including those under Sections 302 and 307 IPC, at the behest of the SAD-BJP government. They claimed that no help was extended to them by senior Congress leaders.
“You have to pass through all this. History has it that noted leaders were framed and even sent to jail. Even the senior leaders, you are complaining against, passed through all this,” said Rahul.
During the training session, the youth leaders apprised Rahul about the cases registered against them just because they belonged to the opposition. They said nobody other than former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh could save them
from atrocities. They prepared the ground for his appointment as the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief, claimed a participant, requesting anonymity. The mega Congress event being watched with interest all over the country was kept closely guarded from media. Nobody was allowed entry inside the venue. No media briefing was organised. Even the organisers were not willing to divulge any details to the media.
Rahul discussed the problems of the ever- increasing population at the national level, female foeticide and drug addiction in Punjab. He asked the youth to work towards eradicating these evils. Earlier in the day, Rahul was received warmly by senior Congress leaders of the state here at the railway station when he reached here by the Swaran Shatabdi express. Only a few leaders were allowed to receive Rahul as the Special Protection Group sleuths cordoned off the reception area leading to the chair car he was travelling in. Even the media was kept away from the scene.
