Mafia rule and 'chaupat raj' in UP should end, says Sonia

GHAZIABAD (UP): Training guns at the Mulayam Singh Yadav regime on the eve of the second phase of polls, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday said there was "chaupat raj (failed governance) in UP and it was time to end the mafia rule".

Addressing poll rallies in Western UP, she targetted the government saying the state and especially the region was now known for "murders, extortion and barbaric crimes" and called for a change to put the state back on the path of development and progress.

"Farmers are suffering, trade and industry have hit a bad patch, employment and livelihood have been affected badly. Are governments elected for this purpose? Is this called Samajwad (socialism)?" Gandhi asked at a poll rally here attended by hundreds of party workers braving the scorching sun.

Asserting that UP has now become a haunt of crime and corruption, she sought to know who was responsible for the mafia raj and corruption in the state. "How long can this continue? We have to cleanse the state of such parties and politicians," she added.

"Uttar Pradesh was once known for its culture, literature and high political morals. It was respected all over the country. But now the state has lost its glory," Gandhi added.

Drawing a comparison between Congress rule in the state and the governments of other political parties, she said, "when Congress was in power, politics was based on values and dignity and the state was on the path to development and progress."