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UPA believes in inclusive growth: Sonia

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government believed in inclusive growth and wanted to ensure that the benefits of growth reached every individual across the country, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said here on Saturday.

Over the past six-and-a-half years, the UPA government had strived to ensure economic growth, provide employment to people and raise the resources required for implementing poverty alleviation programmes.

“We recognise that growth is necessary for sustaining our programmes. At the same time, we believe that growth should be inclusive,” she said, addressing a well-attended public meeting to mark the 125th year celebrations of the party, Rajiv Gandhi birthday and to commemorate her election as party president for the fourth consecutive time.

The former Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party national secretary, S. Thirunavukkarasar, and his supporters joined the Congress formally on the occasion.

Programmes such as the Indira Awas Yojana, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the Prime Minister's Gram Sadak Yojana, the midday meal scheme and the Public Distribution System implemented across the country, including Tamil Nadu, were sustained by the Central government, Ms. Gandhi said.

“We have fulfilled a number of the promises made in the manifesto and are determined to fulfil the remaining too,” Ms. Gandhi said and appealed to the party men to go to villages to enlighten the rural masses on the programmes implemented by the UPA government under the leadership of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. “Explain to the people that these programmes of the Centre are actually being implemented through the State,” she said.

Referring to the 125th year celebration of the party, Ms. Gandhi observed that though many parties had come and gone over years, especially after Independence, the Congress was the only one still relevant and present in every page of the history of the country.

She cited the enrolment of a huge number of youths across the country in the Youth Congress as part of the recent efforts to strengthen the party. “Over two-thirds of the country's population comprise youth below the age of 35. We should respect their aspirations and give them due representation,” she said. Home Minister P. Chidambaram said the huge turnout for the meeting proved that the Congress was second to none in Tamil Nadu. “We wish that the hands that implement the policies and programmes of the UPA government in Tamil Nadu were also those of the Congress. I am not saying ours should be the only hands. Ours should also be the hands that implement the programmes,” he said and appealed to Ms. Gandhi to understand the feelings of the party men and guide the party in Tamil Nadu.

“A vibrant movement”

Union Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan said that though the Congress had been out of power for over four decades in Tamil Nadu, the party still remained a vibrant movement. “We decide the defeat and victory of other parties. In future, we should become the frontline movement in the State,” he said.

Mr. Thirunavukkarasar said though the Congress lost power in 1967, it still remained a major force in Tamil Nadu. The party was growing in strength and the party men should resolve to usher in a Congress coalition in the State in the next election and a Congress government in the following one.

TNCC president K.V. Thangkabalu said the Congress had come to power in 16 States under the leadership of Ms. Gandhi and Tamil Nadu would also follow her leadership.