Amethi: With AAP leader Kumar Vishwas throwing an open challenge to him, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the Congress does not talk but acts, and in an affectionate gesture invited an old woman to be seated beside him in his car during his visit.
Rahul's indirect jibe at AAP came even as Vishwas sharpened his attack on the Congress Vice President, saying he was in Amethi on a "political picnic" and not to share the "pain" of the people.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi interacts with supporters in Amethi. PTI
Vishwas is likely to contest from Amethi in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Rahul is the sitting MP from Amethi.
Rahul arrived in Amethi along with his sister Priyanka Vadra on a two-day tour on his first visit after he was made the Congress campaign chief for the Lok Sabha elections.
Rahul, who arrived at Fursatganj this evening, walked a little distance on road and met people near the airport.
He later invited an old woman to join him as he left the airport with his sister seated in the car behind.
The woman, who hailed from Rampur, said Rahul had stayed in her house to which the Congress leader, who nodded, said his relationship with her is old.
"We don't believe in such things... our habit is to deliver," said Rahul, in a brief chat with newspersons.
He was replying to a question regarding dharna by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
"A good ambience is out here in Amethi. I have an old relationship with the people of Amethi," he said, adding, "Amethi is like my home and it is my family".
Rahul said the party has done good work for the benefit of thousands of women and also in the development of national highways.
He, however, admitted that one thing which has been lacking in Amethi is electricity and roads barring national highways.
"We have faced difficulties on these issues as these fall under the jurisdiction of the state government," Rahul said.
Rahul said that despite funds provided by the Centre to the Uttar Pradesh government the development of power sector in the state and in Amethi is not upto the mark.
He also said some more developmental works are being executed for which he had come to inaugurate.
Vishwas has been repeatedly targeting Rahul, saying he has done nothing for Amethi.
Around 100 people led by one Reeta Singh waved black flags and raised slogans when Rahul's motorcade was passing through the dusty roads.
"Rahul is not coming to feel the pain of the people, but he is here on a political picnic. The people of Amethi are feeling cheated," Vishwas told reporters in Amethi, hours before the Gandhi scion landed at Fursatganj airport.
"The common man needs a reply from Rahul. He should tell us when and where we can meet him.
"We want to talk to him. He must tell us what works are being done in villages."
Gandhi announced a 200-bed hospital in Tiloi area, and said that people of the area would get medical facility in a better way after it is complete.
The Congress leader said the Centre has done a lot of work in Amethi.
"We worked on self-help groups of women. Constructed highways. The only shortcoming was that we could not work in the filed of power as it is related to the state government and Congress is not in power here," he said.
"To construct the national highways is the work of the Centre, we have constructed them... but constructing other roads is the work of the state. Funds are being send by the Centre continuously, but it is not being utilised properly.
"Whether it is employment or the Petroleum Institute, lot many works have been done by the Centre," he said.
After meeting people near the airport, both-- Rahul and Priyanka-- headed for Jais. They met people on their way.
At Akelua crossing, some locals met the Congress leader and complained about bad roads.
Gandhi later inaugurated the district Congress office at Gauriganj.
PTI
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