Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra held a roadshow in Ghaziabad on Friday in support of the party’s candidate Dolly Sharma.
Ms. Vadra arrived at Ghantaghar at 4 p.m. from where the roadshow began after she garlanded the statue of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The roadshow came to an end at the Congress office on Ambedkar Road.
Due to the massive crowd of supporters at the roadshow, the local police and Special Protection Group (SPG) guards had a tough time managing the security of Ms. Vadra.
During the rally, she was seen shaking hands and taking selfies with many supporters.
A group of farmers who had come from Mandola to attend the rally said the BJP has caused a lot of destruction due of failed policies, including demonetisation.
“We supported the BJP in the previous election but this time we will support the Congress,” said Mahender Tyagi, a farmer.
Women were seen peeping out of their windows to catch a glimpse of Ms. Vadra. They were also seen showering petals on her convoy. “Whether people coming to attend the roadshow will actually turn into votes for the Congress or not will be seen on the result day. [BJP president] Amit Shah is also coming for roadshow on April 8,” said Raman Singh, a businessman.
‘Raise your voice’
While addressing the crowd and media persons at the Congress office in Ghaziabad, Ms. Vadra said: “It is up to you [voters]... what kind of politics do you want to vote for? There are people who want to destroy the democracy of the country. It is not a democracy where you are beaten up when you raise your voice.”
Ms. Vadra said no government can suppress the voice of the citizens.
“I went to Varanasi and asked people whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited them or not. I asked them whether he [PM] meets them. They said he comes only for campaigns,” she said.
Congress manifesto
Speaking about the Congress manifesto, she said that the party has promised Nyunatam Aay Yojana (NYAY) to eradicate poverty but all Mr. Modi was asking was where the money would come from. “He [Mr. Modi] asks what has the Congress done in 60 years and we ask what has he done in five years. The government does not have money to make new roads. Goods and Services Tax has killed the economy,” said Ms. Vadra.
“Those who make false promises should be taught a lesson by you people,” she added. The roadshow was supposed to start from Dudheshwar temple at 3 p.m. but the venue was changed after the SPG denied permission citing security reasons.