Rahul Gandhi gave a speech attacking the BJP and promoting the Congress party in Assam. He made three key points: 1) The BJP talks about development models but only cares about a select few rich industrialists, not poverty alleviation. Their "India Shining" campaigns always fail when election results are revealed. 2) Assam needs its own development model focused on empowering the people, not imposing the Gujarat model. Congress policies like MNREGA, land reforms, and women's empowerment have reduced poverty in Assam. 3) The BJP pits groups against each other and fails to address poverty, whereas Congress is committed to fully eradicating poverty and empowering people from all walks of life

1. Camp: Biswanath Chariali, Sonitpur, Assam
Time: 4 pm
Date: 27th
March, 2014
Rahul Gandhi mocks BJP in Assam, says India can shine only if we eradicate poverty completely
“We can defeat hatred only through love. One can never remove darkness using darkness; we need light to free from darkness.
Similarly, only with love and brotherhood one can win over hatred” said Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi while addressing
a huge election rally at Biswanath Chariali in Sonitpur, Assam on Thursday. “That is what you showed in Assam. You have peace
not because of the Congress party, but it is due to the efforts of its people. You defeated violence with love and it is a good
lesson for others to learn” he added.
“Ahead of every general election, the NDA comes out with a new campaign balloon. They prepared an ‘India Shining’ balloon in
2004. But when the ballot boxes were opened, they came to know that the poor in our country burst that fully filled hot air
balloon. They had made a similar balloon in 2009 also. Even many media also had said that Congress was losing badly in that
election. They had ruled out a possibility of Congress coming back to power again. But when the counting was over, their
predictions went wrong and the NDA balloon was burst again” said Rahul Gandhi and asserted, “Now, in 2014 also, BJP and NDA
are ready with another big balloon, fully filled with air. You can see, after the elections that too will explode, three times loudly
than earlier ones. is not the Congress party which burst your balloon, but it is the poor. This time too, their hot air marketing
balloon will be exploded by the people”.
Slamming the Gujarat model, the Congress leader continued, “People talk a lot about Gujarat model, nowadays. BJP says that
Gujarat model must be replicated in all other states. I want to make them understand that Assam does not need Gujarat model,
it needs Assam model” and added “Every place has its own relevance; every state has its own knowledge. Every state has its own
culture, heritage and history. Gujarat model may be good for Gujarat. Gujarat developed because of the efforts of the people
there – the women, the labourers developed it. The white revolution was possible due to the women in Gujarat, not of Modi
government”.
“BJP thinks one ideology can run the entire country but the truth is that this country is not made of one thought or ideology but
of thousands and lakhs of thoughts. They want to impose their ideology in Assam, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Maharashtra.
But it is never possible” commented Rahul Gandhi.
“While Congress wants to empower people at all walks of life, BJP wants to give entire power to a single person. They think that
only one person has the entire knowledge and they do not realise the power of the people. Congress knows that people possess
knowledge and so their empowerment is necessary for development” explained the Congress Vice President.

2. “BJP's politics is about two things. First, pit Hindus against Muslims, the rich against the poor and people of Maharashtra against
those from UP and Bihar. Just before the elections, riots started in Muzaffarnagar at UP. Second, they fail to see the pain of the
poor. So they talk of things like 'India Shining' which I will never because I meet you every day and understand your suffering”
further said Rahul Gandhi.
The Congress leader continued his attack on the BJP and said, “The opposition just sees the poverty from a distance and deliver
big speeches from the stages. The opposition says 'India Shining', they market models, but India will only shine, when no one is
poor. Our country will shine only if we eradicate poverty completely”.
“Support Congress and elect Congress candidates. We will surely fight for your rights” said Rahul Gandhi while concluding his
address.
Full text of the speech by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi at Assam
There was a time when entire Assam was under insurgency. There was no development. But when Congress government come
to power, we entered into Assam Accord and peace was back in Assam. After that there was a non-Congress rule and you had
witnessed what had happened under it. The entire state was under chaos. There was no money to pay salaries to the
employees. There were no roads and the growth rate was just 2%.
When Congress again formed a government here under the leadership of Gagoi Ji, we laid a strong foundation based on love and
development started coming back here. We could achieve progress because we took everyone along with us. We worked for
entire people, without any discrimination. Congress party always believes that empowering our people is necessary for
development. We realise that people possess more knowledge.
We constituted 6 autonomous councils and 18 development councils here; I had interacted with those during my earlier visit
and I am happy to inform that I could learn a lot from them.
We can defeat hatred only through love. One can never remove darkness using darkness; we need light to free from darkness.
Similarly, only with love and brotherhood one can win over hatred. That is what you showed in Assam. You have peace not
because of the Congress party, but it is due to the efforts of its people. You defeated violence with love and it is a good lesson
for others to learn.
Ahead of every general election, the NDA comes out with a new campaign balloon. They prepared an ‘India Shining’ balloon in
2004. But when the ballot boxes were opened, they came to know that the poor in our country burst that fully filled hot air
balloon. They had made a similar balloon in 2009 also. Even many media also had said that Congress was losing badly in that
election. They had ruled out a possibility of Congress coming back to power again. But when the counting was over, their
predictions went wrong and the NDA balloon was burst again.

3. Now, in 2014 also, BJP and NDA are ready with another big balloon, fully filled with air. You see, after the elections, this one too
will explode, three times loudly than earlier ones. I will tell you why I am so confident. Congress party is not just an organisation
but is an ideology. This thought is not new but ages old and this ideology has burst various such balloons. This ideology teaches
that country can develop only through love and brotherhood. That teaches us that we can move forward only if we listen to the
poor people and empower them. I just want to tell my friends in opposition that it is not the Congress party which burst your
balloon, but it is the poor. This time too, their hot air marketing balloon will be exploded by the people.
We serve the people with love. The growth rate of Assam was just 2% during BJP-AGP government, we have increased it to 13%.
People talk a lot about Gujarat model, nowadays. BJP says that Gujarat model must be replicated in all other states. I want to
make them understand that Assam does not need Gujarat model, it needs Assam model.
Every place has its own relevance; every state has its own knowledge. Every state has its own culture, heritage and history.
Gujarat model may be good for Gujarat. Gujarat developed because of the efforts of the people there – the women, the
labourers developed it. The white revolution was possible due to the women in Gujarat, not of Modi government.
What I want to say is Assam needs an Assam model. There is problem with this state. If Assam is to be developed, it is possible
only with the knowledge and strength of its people. BJP thinks one ideology can run the entire country but the truth is that this
country is not made of one thought or ideology but of thousands and lakhs of thoughts. They want to impose their ideology in
Assam, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Maharashtra. But it is never possible. Our country is not based on one single concept or
ideology. It is filled with lots of ideas and ideologies. Every state has its own culture. This is our strength. Every state has its own
strength and history. We must try to accommodate all such diversified thoughts.
Assam had recorded highest rice production last year. You achieved it following your own model. We gave special focus on the
issues of farmers, tribals, minorities, SC, ST and OBCs. We sanctioned huge financial packages for it and lots of people
benefitted. If one goes to Gujarat and ask the Adivasis there about their living conditions, he can realise their pathetic state of
affairs there. They are not at all happy with the Gujarat model. The case is same with other sections of society too. They say no
one is there to listen to their issues. There are lots of cries and balloon flying on air on Gujarat model but people are in distress
there. Gujarat model is beneficial only for a selected group of five-six industrialists. The lands of poor farmers are being snatched
away.
If we want to develop Assam further, we need to connect it with other places. We can increase connectivity by roads, railway
lines and east-west corridors. Your young candidate here was just talking to me regarding the necessity of a 4-line highway here.
It is a good idea. The state govt here built 22700 km roads and 3500 bridges here. It also constructed 6 bridges over
Brahmaputra – the life line of Assam. 13 lakh people could avail benefits of the MNREGA in Assam. Lots of poor benefitted by
the free medicine scheme called Assam Arogya Nidhi Yojana. About 8 lakh got benefits of Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyuteekaran
Yojana.

4. All our policies like MNREGA, RTI, Adivasi Bill, Food Security Bill, Land Acquisition Bill are aimed at empowering common man.
The state government here too wants to give more power to its citizens. This is the difference between the Congress and the
BJP. While Congress wants to empower people at all walks of life, BJP wants to give entire power to a single person. They think
that only one person has the entire knowledge and they do not realise the power of the people. Congress knows that people
possess knowledge and so their empowerment is necessary for development.
I am happy to see women in large numbers here. You have a rich tradition of respecting and empowering women. Other states
must learn it from you. Congress granted 50% reservation for women in Panchayats. Now the bill to provide 33% reservation for
women is pending in the Parliament. The opposition is not letting its passage as they are scared of women empowerment. But
we will definitely get that bill passed.
Women representatives had come to me and had requested my intervention to increase the number of subsidized LPG cylinders
from 9 to 12. I conveyed this to our Prime Minister and Sonia (Gandhi) ji and they took no time to hike the numbers to 12.
The Assam government gives 33% reservation here for women in government jobs and connected 2.70 Lakh women with the
banks through Self Help Groups. We realise the strength of the women and our youth.
The new industrial and freight corridor –Delhi-Mumbai, Mublai-0Chennai, Delhi-Kolkata- initiated by us will boost the
manufacturing sector and lakhs of young people from Assam will be able to get employment once it is completed. We know
China is the main global manufacturing hub and in future India too will become like China. We need to give more focus on
education too. Best educational facilities are now available in Assam. We have IIT, IIIT, NIT, TISS, RGIPT, 2 central universities, 3
medical colleges and 50 skill development centres in Assam at present. We know that educating the Assam youth will not only
benefit this state, but entire country too.
I want to tell you something about Tezpur. Indira Gandhi had told me that she had come to Tezpur relief camps during India-
China war. We have built an airport in Tezpur and also have started to make the highway 4-line. We converted the railway lines
there to broad gauge and upgraded the universities to central universities.
In the last 10 years of UPA regime, we could lift about 15 crore people out of poverty using our pro-poor policies and
programmes lime MNREGA, Food and Land bills. Now there is a new class emerged, just above the BPL but below the middle
class. Theare are about 70 Crore people in that new group who work in factories, who work as carpenters and we want these 70
Cr people should be brought in middle class, while continue serving the poor and downtrodden. We now want to grant poor a
right to health and right to shelter. We never want to run a government for the rich. We know that we need industries,
manufacturing centres but we will forget our poor people.

5. The opposition just sees the poverty from a distance and deliver big speeches from the stages. The opposition says 'India
Shining', they market models, but India will only shine, when no one is poor. Our country will shine only if we eradicate poverty
completely.
BJP's politics is about two things. First, pit Hindus against Muslims, the rich against the poor and people of Maharashtra against
those from UP and Bihar. Just before the elections, riots started in Muzaffarnagar at UP.
Second, they fail to see the pain of the poor. So they talk of things like 'India Shining' which I will never because I meet you every
day and understand your suffering. The poor are not visible for BJP and never does anything for the upliftment of the poor.
Congress leaders, like Gandhi ji, go to the people, hold their hands in support, interact with them to realise their issues. This has
been our tradition. No leader can transform our country, if he does not go to the people, and listen to them. I understand the
issues of the women here.
My intention is clear. I want to serve the poor from the core of my heart, not through speeches but by actions. Some leaders
think that there is no need to listen to the people. They think that they are the epitome of knowledge. A true leader goes to the
people with bowed head and listens to their issues. They show no arrogance. I also want to tell the young Congress candidate
here to follow this path always. We must go to the people, talk to them, share their meals and give a patient hearing to their
grievances. If you have any complaint, come to me.
Congress follows the footsteps of Gandhi ji, Nehru Ji, Indiraji. They always are concerned for the issues for the people. They
always talk about development. It is due to this ideology, Assam now experience development.
So, support Congress and elect Congress candidates. We will surely fight for you.