Varun Gandhi exhorts voters to rise against Mayawati

Pilibhit (Uttar Pradesh), May 9 (IANS) A day after a court panel recommended revocation of the National Security Act (NSA) provisions against him, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi asked voters in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit parliamentary constituency to rise against the 'anti-poor' Mayawati government.

Addressing voters in Puranpur in Pilibhit, which goes to the polls in the last phase May 13, Gandhi said: 'We should rise against the Mayawati government as she is against the poor and those promoting nationalism.'

'Everyone knows I do whatever I say even if I have to go to jail,' Gandhi said, as his supporters chanted 'Jai Sri Ram'.

'My fight is not against any individual but against all those who are against the poor and weaker sections of society.'

Accusing the Mayawati government of not having made any significant effort to check crime in the state, Gandhi said: 'This government has failed to maintain law and order. Criminals and anti-social elements are openly extorting money and roaming freely in our villages.'

He exhorted the people: 'Please remember, I don't want to live in an Uttar Pradesh where people are suppressed, the poor are not looked after.'

Striking an emotive chord with the people, he said: 'The day I was arrested, you all gave me blood, took bullets.

'When there is trouble upon you, then Varun Gandhi is prepared to take on your problems,' he declared to thunderous applause.

Gandhi, the BJP's Lok Sabha poll candidate from Pilibhit, said that for him the biggest electoral issue was to restore the dignity of the poor and weaker sections of society.

'Come what may, I will never backtrack from taking up issues concerning the poor. For me, nothing is more important than self-respect and dignity of poor.'

Blaming Mayawati for the poor economic condition of farmers, Gandhi said: 'The government is against farmers. In Pilibhit, wheat farmers are forced to sell their produce below the minimum support price.'

He called upon the public to help him win by a record margin so that in next elections no one dares to fight against him.

On Friday, the special advisory board of the Allahabad High Court recommended withdrawal of the stringent NSA invoked against Gandhi for his inflammatory communal utterances. The Mayawati government has decided to move the Supreme Court against this.

Gandhi termed the court panel's recommendation as 'historic' and said the 'authorities' would have to 'answer' for the 20 days he spent in detention.