Girls corner Priyanka on women's security

Congress star campaigner and in-charge of the AICC president Sonia Gandhi's Lok Sabha constituency of Raebareli, Priyanka Gandhi was on Friday cornered over rising crimes against the women and lack of development in the area.

Priyanka, who was on a day long visit to Raebareli, had to face some uncomfortable questions on women's security from a group of college girls in the town. The girls stopped the cavalcade of Priyanka near the Civil Lines locality in Raebareli and took up the issue with her.

“Priyanka Gandhi has assured us that she will do whatever is possible in this regard,” said a girl.The girls also complained to Priyanka that the funds meant for the development of the town were not being used for the purpose and diverted elsewhere. “No developmental work is being undertaken...the funds are being diverted,” they told Priyanka and sought a probe into the same. One of the girls said that Priyanka had taken her cell phone number and has assured her that she will speak to them on the two issues in detail.

Earlier Priyanka arrived at Raebareli on a day’s visit and met Congress workers and local leaders at different places.

Since taking charge of the constituency, Priyanka has been visiting Raebareli at regular intervals and has been meeting the electorate and the party workers.  She has focused her attention on strengthening the party at the block level besides redressing the grievances of the ordinary workers. Although the Congress bagged 21 seats in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, it received a severe drubbing in the recently held Assembly elections and could secure only 29 seats.

It had to face a humiliating defeat even at the Nehru-Gandhi pocket boroughs of Raebareli and Amethi from where Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi is the MP.