Unfazed by the attack on his claims on the alleged police brutality in the villages of Greater Noida, Rahul Gandhi appeared to justify those remarks saying people there had complained to him about the atrocities they were subjected to.

Declaring a war against Mayawati government, he said Congress would go to every village of the state and fight for ousting the government.

He also demanded a judicial inquiry into the violence in Bhatta-Parsaul villages he visited last week to empathise with the farmers agitating against land acquisition.

“Locals said that they were ready to give land. Women and poor farmers in the village told me, see what is happening to us. Why our houses are being burnt? Why are we beaten up? These questions are being asked,” he said addressing a two-day convention of the party in Varanasi on Wednesday.

“The Uttar Pradesh government says all is well in Bhatta Parsaul. Then why Section 144 (prohibitory orders) has been imposed there. If everything is alright, why people are fleeing? If everything is alright, why a judicial probe is not being ordered? Free and fair inquiry is the need of the hour to fix responsibility”, Gandhi said.

Challenging BSP, which says that he lacked issues, Rahul said that he had a lot of issues and time and would reach all the village of the state to fight with common man.

“I will reach every corner of the state and fight with you holding your hands. We will fight them (UP government) in every village and we will throw them out,” Gandhi said adding it was not a fight for elections.

About the clashes in Greater Noida, Gandhi said that he went to the affected villages but only women were there as majority of men had fled due to fear.

Taking potshots at the BSP government, he said the state administration was not ready to accept problems in Bundelkhand despite that fact that condition of people there was miserable.

“What is the state government is doing. Bundelkhand is seeking help but the state government is not doing anything. I went to the Prime Minister and did whatever I can. But the money sent from Centre is not utilised here”, Gandhi said.

“I recently went there (Bundelkhand) where condition of roads were not good, farmers were not getting their due in mandi (market”, he said asking partymen to gear up for the decisive battle.

Asking partymen that his fight was not for the coming polls but for the development of Uttar Pradesh, he said that state had seen governments of SP, BSP and BJP but none of them could ensure development.

“Our fight is not for winning elections but to ensure better future for youths and development”, Gandhi said adding, “we want to change UP, we want to ensure development and this cannot happen without Congress.”

He claimed when asked about MNREGS scheme in Haryana and Andhara Pradesh, farmers and poor had all praises for it but on the contrary UP government said that the scheme was not needed in the state.

Asking party workers to shun the habit of pointing out what other parties like BSP, SP or Peace Party were doing in UP, Rahul said, “You all should stop saying this. Tell what Congress is doing and how we will change UP”.

Corruption set records in BSP regime, people want Cong: Singh

Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh on Wednesday  accused Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh of institutionalising corruption and said people fed up with deteriorating condition of the state want to associate with the party in the 2012 Assembly polls.

Corruption set records in the BSP regime, and it has been institutionalised by the Mayawati government, he said while addressing the inaugural session of a two-day UPCC convention in Varanasi.

Inaugurating the convention, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi said he would address the party workers after listening to their views. “I am here to hear you. I will speak only after hearing your views.”

Slamming the BSP-government in the state, Singh said: “The posting of officers are done after taking money. And such officers after posting extort money for none other than common man.”

He also alleged that during Mayawati’s rule the condition of dalits and poor have deteriorated.

Apparently referring to farmers’ agitation in Greater Noida, he said land were acquired in the state to be handed over to industrialists and there is no place for poor.

“People have faith in Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and in 2012 we have an opportunity to emerge as a force again,” Singh said, adding that rising crime graph and other law and order issues in the state are haunting common man.

Stating that the Congress was out of power for 22 years in the state and people had seen misrule of SP, BSP and BJP, Singh pointed it is the right time to show party’s strength and gear up for 2012 polls.

“We are in opposition since 1990. We might have committed some mistakes but during non-Congress governments, Uttar Pradesh become a backward state from a leading state,” Singh said.

The Congress general secretary said: “The opposition parties have divided the state on the basis of caste, creed and religion. People realise it and are looking forward to Congress once again.”

Asserting that public want to associate with the party, Singh said in the Lok Sabha polls, when pundits were claiming that Congress would hardly get 7-8 seats, it won 22 seats.

Congress leader said the convention will help the party to chalk out its plan for 2012 Assembly polls and suggestions emerging from it will be discussed at the CWC meeting.

On the distribution of tickets for the polls, he said the final decision would be taken by the AICC after going through reports of observers.

Party workers presented a copy of “Yatharth Geeta” to Gandhi after inauguration.

Singh said the party leader has been reading Geeta for a few months.

Singh also called for unity in the party and said: “Everyone has ambition and its natural but the Congress party is like our mother, which should not be put at stake for ambition.”