Sonia backs Rahul; flays UP govt

Varanasi: Strongly backing Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi today slammed the Uttar Pradesh government over the “brutalities” perpetrated on farmers in Greater Noida villages, saying the state has descended into “anarchy and lawlessness”.

With a just a year left for Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, she expressed confidence that Congress could come to power in the state as well.

“The state has become ‘andher nagri’ (dark city), where there is no law and order. There is anarchy and lawlessness in UP,” Gandhi said addressing a party convention here.

A week after Rahul’s visit to Bhatta-Parsaul villages of Greater Noida where he empathised with farmers agitating against land acquisition, Sonia said she was “ashamed” to see the “brutalities” perpetrated in Bhatta-Parsaul and accused the Mayawati government of using state machinery to acquire land for projects.