MAPUSA
In a bid to capture the imagination of Goan electorate, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi said the Congress government in Goa will not be remote-controlled and would work to accommodate all sections of society, particularly the poor.
“Our government will not be remote controlled from Delhi, as is being done by the present dispensation in the State,” Gandhi said. “The BJP-led government is not run from Goa, but remote controlled from Delhi,” he added.
The Congress Vice-President was addressing a public meeting swamped with party workers and supporters at Bodgeshwar Ground in Mapusa on Monday.
Gandhi reached the meeting site at North Goa's commercial capital of Mapusa a good 90 minutes behind schedule and spoke extempore for just about 18 minutes.
Dressed in white kurta-pyjamas, the Congress leader made his way to the meeting after his helicopter landed in an open ground adjacent to the meeting site. Gandhi waved at the crowd as his copter was about to land.
Calling upon the people of Goa to give mandate to Congress in the Assembly election, Gandhi said the party has taken a path-breaking decision to provide 60 per cent new faces and youthful candidates in the State.
He said the Congress government would work towards the welfare of the poor and the marginalized sections of the society.
“Our government will be run on the basis of what our youth, women and all other sections of the society want. I give this guarantee to the people of Goa,” he said to loud cheers of the crowd.
He said Congress will make extra effort towards elimination of corruption and bring about a change in governance in the State.
“We will not compromise on corruption. We will work hard to eliminate corruption in governance,” he said.
He also said that the party will make an effort to provide employment to maximum people in the State.
Taking on his favourite punching bag, he said everybody knew the BJP-led government failed to provide employment in the last five years and Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes and promises jobs to Goans.
“Modi promises to make Goa corruption free. But everyone knows the level of corruption in the BJP-led government in the last five years,” he said.
“Modi promised employment to 50,000 persons. But then he also said if you are not SSC passed you won't get a job. Is this how you treat the children of poor who sometimes cannot go to school,” he asked.
Earlier, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee, President, Luizinho Faleiro, Opposition leader and senior Congressman Pratapsing Rane and former chief ministers, Digambar Kamat and Ravi Naik, also addressed the gathering.
AICC General Secretary Digvijaya Singh and observer to Goa, Chellakumar along with a host of Congress leaders were present.
