http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/Couldnt_stop_Sonia_Maya_tries_it_on_son_fails/articleshow/3638995.cms
Couldn't stop Sonia, Maya tries it on son, fails 25 Oct, 2008, 0457 hrs IST, ET Bureau KANPUR-LUCKNOW: BSP's political tolerance touched its nadir in Uttar Pradesh with the Mayawati regime, seemingly peeved over Congress general secreta ry Rahul Gandhi's repeated overtures towards the Dalit constituency, cancelled his pre-scheduled programme in Kanpur on Friday. A defiant Rahul Gandhi despite not being allowed to go ahead with his programme at the Chandrashekhar Azad Agriculture University visited the campus and mingled with the students. Mr Gandhi later said that he does not understand why the Mayawati government is vindictive towards them and said he was prepared to do anything, even go to jail, for peoples cause. Caught between the murky battle between chief minister Mayawati and the Gandhis, an upset Governor T V Rajeswar, who was supposed to attend the convocation at the CSA Agriculture University, cancelled his visit. Mr Gandhi was scheduled to hold an interaction with students in the auditorium of the CSA Agriculture University. But, soon after he landed in Kanpur, the Congress leaders were informed that permission has been denied for his interactive session with the university students. Though the state government denied any role in the cancellation of the programme, UP Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi claimed that chief minister Mayawati had arm-twisted the Vice Chancellor of the university to get Rahul Gandhi's programme cancelled. A defiant Rahul Gandhi proceeded towards the university where he was greeted with a lock at the auditorium gates. He, however, walked around the campus surrounded by a huge crowd of enthusiastic students who exchanged views with him. Curiously, the district administration, probably trying to defuse the situation, did not stop Mr Gandhi from roaming around the campus where he visited the university canteen and spoke to the students. Later Mr Gandhi, addressing a meeting, took pot shots at Ms Mayawati questioning why even when the state has a government which claims to champion the cause of the Dalits, their condition is still relegated at the bottom of the society. "Whenever I visit schools in the state I find that the students sitting at the back of the class are Dalits. This surely hampers their studies," he said. He said that the state government is being vindictive towards his family. Only last week the Mayawati government had denied permission to Sonia Gandhi for holding a rally in her constituency Rae Bareily. Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that he was ready to do anything for peoples' cause and even prepared to go to jail. "I cannot be stopped. I had to visit the students and I kept my promise," he said.
