UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Thursday said that Congress leaders sacrificed their lives to fight against Naxalism here, and added that the party has a history of bringing happiness to the lives of the people.
"To fight Naxalism, our Congress leaders have sacrificed their lives here. We are missing them today. The Congress has a history of making sacrifices; it has a history of bringing happiness in the lives of the people," she said while addressing a rally here today.
She further said that the Congress Party has always delivered on its promises made to the people, and also announced a scheme for rehabilitation for regions affected with Naxalism.
"The Congress party does not just talk, but also delivers on its promises. We have given employment to the poorest of poor. We have guaranteed you food through the food security scheme. For regions affected with Naxalism, there will be schemes for rehabilitation," she added.
She also held the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responsible for poverty in the state, and asked what the saffron outfit has done to improve the law and order situation.
"BJP talks of good governance, but because of it's misgovernance in Chhattisgarh, poverty has increased. There are law and order problems here, what has the Chhattisgarh Government done about it?" she questioned.
Maoists, who are considered to be India's greatest internal security threat, have of-late intensified their operations in many areas including Chhattisgarh.
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Heavily armed Maoists had on May 25 ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders in the state's Bastar district, killing 28 people including PCC chief Nand Kumar Patel, his son Dinesh, Congress leader Mahendra Karma and ex-MLA Uday Mudliyar and injuring 37 others.
Earlier on June 11, Congress veteran Vidya Charan Shukla, also died in a Gurgaon hospital after battling the bullet injuries that he sustained in the Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh.
Shukla, who was critically injured in the Maoist attack on May 25, was airlifted to the Medanta Medicity Hospital in Gurgaon from Raipur a day after the attack.
The BJP ruled Chhattisgarh would be the first state to go to polls, in two phases -on November 11 and 19.
Elections to State Assembly in Madhya Pradesh would be held on November 25. Elections to State Assembly in Rajasthan would be held on December 1, while elections to State Assemblies in Delhi and Mizoram would be held on December 4.