Shri Rahul Gandhi said on Saturday that the poor of this country had maximum knowledge.   While addressing a meeting in the historic city of Varanasi, he said, “The poor have a great deal of knowledge. The poor are rich at heart and many of the rich are actually poor at heart.”   He said that he had traveled across the globe and when he asked some officials in the Planning Commission to define poor, they came up with an explanation that did not seem satisfactory.   “Then I asked a poor woman to define poverty and she said that whenever someone came knocking at her door and inquired if there was anyone inside, she would say no. She said but today when anyone makes such inquiries, she proudly gives her own name– she said I was poor earlier but not now. This definition opened my eyes,” he said.   In an interactive session with the audience, he said that states like Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Kerala had outdone Uttar Pradesh in recent years and UP was not even visible in the rear view mirror of Kerala.   “Why can’t UP change if these states can change themselves. Do you want UP to change?” he asked.
Shri Gandhi said that Mulayam Singh had been chief minister of the state thrice and Mayawati
had been CM four times but no visible change could be seen in UP.   “For 22 years you have suffered. Are you happy? Do you want to change?” he asked and the people responded with applause.   Addressing weavers, Shri Gandhi said that when they apprised him of their problems, he conveyed their requirements to the centre and a weavers’ package has been given to them. He said that weavers were the pride of the country.

Talking about the ghats of Varanasi, he said that the ghats had a cultural, religious and historic significance but when he visited the area a few days ago, he was saddened to se the lack of upkeep.   Urging people to vote for change, Shri Gandhi said that the Congress always worked for the common man and it was on farmers’ request that the centre had introduced MNREGA that has changed the lives of farmers across the country, particularly in Congress ruled states where the schemes has been implemented honestly.    He said that if voted to power, the Congress would help the people in bringing about a change in UP — a change that would change their lives for the better.

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