Issues related to defence personnel important: Rahul

Tanda (Himachal Pradesh), March 20 (IANS) Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Thursday said issues related to defence personnel should be taken from the heart, referring to their demand of "one rank, one pension".

"You came to me and I promised that I will try my best and we took the decision," Gandhi said while addressing ex-servicemen in Tanda town, some 275 km from state capital Shimla.

Referring to accepting their long-pending demand of "one rank, one pension", Gandhi, on his maiden visit to the hill state since the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections, said "the Congress believes in politics of credibility".

"The issues related to the army jawans (personnel) should be taken from the heart because they do their duty to protect the borders from the heart," Gandhi told a gathering of around 1,000 ex-servicemen during an interaction.

He said the jawans give their lives for the nation. "We owe them more than just gratitude. I am on your side. I understand your concerns. You give your life for the country, I will do all that I can to see that your demands are met."

Gandhi said the Congress party's ideology was the common man's ideology. "It's a fight of ideology in the country. Our ideology is to take all with us."

He stressed that he doesn't believe in making big promises.

Of the four parliamentary seats in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP won Shimla (reserved), Kangra and Hamirpur, while the Congress bagged Mandi during the 2009 elections.

The hill state goes to the polls May 7.